Ed and the Order of the Phoenix
by Harryswoman
Summary: Ed and Winry return to Hogwarts for another year and Al comes for his first year in Hogwarts as a fifth year and Izumi teaches Alchemy. Sequel to Ed Elric and the Triwizard Tournament. Read & Review! T for foul language and suggestive theme. FINISHED! BROTHERHOOD/MANGA
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Here it is! The sequel to Triwizard Tournament! I hope you all like it!

**Chapter One**

Sixteen year old Edward Elric groaned in frustration as he leaned back in his chair. Fifteen year old Alphonse Elric looked over at his brother.

"What's wrong, Brother?" Al asked.

"I'm bored!" Ed groaned. "There's nothing to do!"

"Instead of complaining, why don't you do something productive?" asked a voice behind Ed.

Ed looked up to see that it was Winry who spoke. Her hands were on her hips. Hermione was standing next to her with Crookshanks in her arms. Two weeks into the summer vacation, Ed, Al, and Winry were picked up by Remus Lupin and Mad-Eye Moody to go to the Black Manor. A week after Ed, Al, and Winry had gotten to the said manor, Al took a test (and passed with flying colors) to enter the fifth year, and Ed received an owl from Fudge saying that Ed would have to repeat the fifth year since he didn't take the O.W.L. exams. This made Ed angry since nothing could be done about it. It was a week later, and Ed was still angry about it. Ed groaned.

"Like what?" Ed asked.

"Like helping get this place habitable," Hermione answered.

"Hermione, the place is a dump," Ed replied, putting his feet up on the table. "It's never gonna be habitable _or_ decent."

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

"Get your feet off the table!" Mrs. Weasley scolded, coming into the dining room with lunch.

Ed sighed and put his feet down as Sirius came in with the drinks.

"It's true, Winry, this place is a dump and it'll always be a dump," Ed said.

"Edward Thomas Elric!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "You shouldn't speak that way about your elders' houses!"

"Don't worry about it, Molly, I'm not offended," Sirius said, grinning. "I think it's a dump too."

"Don't encourage him!" Mrs. Weasley said. "Girls, will you go get the other boys and Ginny?"

"All right," Winry said. "We'll be right back."

Then Winry and Hermione went to go get Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny.

"Anybody joinin' us for lunch today?" Ed asked.

"Remus is supposed to be here in a minute," Sirius said. "I think Tonks is supposed to come as well."

Ed snickered.

"You mean wolf-boy's girlfriend?" Ed asked.

"Brother!" Al scolded.

"Edward!" Mrs. Weasley scolded again.

Sirius let out a bark of laughter as he sat down at the table. Mrs. Weasley scowled.

"What's going on?" Remus asked as he came in and sat down at the table.

"Where's your girlfriend, Remus?" Ed asked.

Remus frowned at Ed as Ed snickered. Al rolled his eyes.

"Nymphadora is _not_ my girlfriend," Remus said.

"Whatever you say," Ed said.

A moment later, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Winry, and Hermione came into the dining room and sat down at their appropriate places.

The dining room/kitchen was a gloomy, cavernous room with stone walls. Most of the light came from the fireplace at the end of the room when lit. Iron pots and pans hang from the dark ceiling. Many chairs were crammed into the room at the table for meetings or meals.

A crashing told them that Tonks was there. A portrait started screaming as Tonks came into the dining room apologizing profusely. Sirius sighed and went to shut the portrait up. He sat down as Tonks did.

"I'm so sorry, Molly," Tonks said.

"Just be careful," Molly stressed.

The lunch was served and they all began to eat.

"So, what's happenin' today?" Ed asked. "Anything exciting?"

"Well, we're going to get Harry today," Remus said.

"Besides that," Ed said.

"Edward, you know you aren't allowed in the meetings," Mrs. Weasley said. "You are underage."

Ed groaned.

"Stop being a baby, Ed," Winry scolded.

"We're not allowed in the Order meetings either, Ed," Fred said. "And we've been of age for months."

Ed frowned. A moment later, Bill came in and sat down by Mrs. Weasley.

"Sorry I'm late," Bill said.

"That's all right, Bill," Mrs. Weasley said. "Just eat up. Alphonse, are you all right?"

Al was staring off into space. He shook his head slightly and smiled.

"I'm fine," Al said. "I'm just thinking about Teacher's class."

Ed groaned.

"I think it will be a great class!" Hermione said.

"Of course you'd think so," Ed remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"She's a grade-A bitch when she's teaching," Ed explained.

"Edward Elric!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Mind your tongue!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley," Ed apologized.

"Where did you learn such language?" Mrs. Weasley asked, as Sirius tried not to laugh.

"The military," Ed lied.

"Well, it's a good thing that your Fuhrer let you have time off so you can get your education from Hogwarts," Mrs. Weasley said.

Ed groaned.

"Come on, Ed, Hogwarts isn't so bad," George said.

"I know, but I get so bored!" Ed complained.

"We noticed," Ginny said.

Ed glared at Ginny.

"Edward, don't be so glum," Remus said.

"Have _you_ ever been held back because you haven't taken a stupid exam that you were supposed to have been exempt from and then -- ?" Ed fumed.

"We get it, Ed," Bill said.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Ed said.

He got up from his seat and stomped his way up to his and Al's room and slammed the door shut behind him.

"That boy," Mrs. Weasley said.

"He's just going through a stage, Molly," Remus assured. "He'll grow out of it. We all do…" He looked at Sirius and then back at Mrs. Weasley. "Well, almost all of us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius asked. "I'm a _seriously _normal person."

Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George burst out laughing as Winry rolled her eyes. She got up and went up to Ed and Al's room. She knocked on the door and went in. Winry saw that Ed was lying on his bed with his back facing the door. Winry shut the door behind her.

"Ed?" Winry asked.

"What?" Ed asked.

"What's wrong?" Winry asked. "You're being so…"

"So what?" Ed asked. "Childish?"

"Angry," Winry completed. "Is it so bad to do fifth year over again? You get to concentrate more on the exams than you were able to last year."

"Easy for you to say," Ed muttered. "You're gonna be a sixth year."

"Ed, stop it," Winry scowled. "It's becoming irritating."

Ed sighed.

"I don't like being treated like a kid all the time," Ed pouted.

"But we are kids," Winry said.

"We're not kids," Ed said. "We're teenagers."

"But we're not adults," Winry pointed out. "What's so wrong with being mothered?"

Ed didn't say anything, then…

"I hate being a teenager," Ed muttered.

Winry sighed and chuckled.

"Just you wait, Ed," Winry said. "In twenty or thirty years, you'll be wishing you were sixteen again."

"No, I won't," Ed denied.

"You big baby," Winry chuckled.

"I am not!" Ed protested, sitting up on the bed.

"When you grow up, you can come help clean some of the bedrooms," Winry said.

Then she left the room. Ed grumbled and went after her.

"You know, Winry, you can be a right down _bitch_," Ed said.

"Well, you can be a right down _jerk_," Winry retorted.

They got back down to the dining room and sat at their places. Ed saw that Tonks had changed her hair color to golden blonde like his and Al's hair color.

"That doesn't look good on you," Ed said.

"You don't think so?" Tonks asked.

"No," Ed replied.

"I think she looks nice," Al complimented.

Ed rolled his eyes.

"Are you all right, Edward?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ed said. "Don't worry about me."

After lunch, Ed, Winry, and Al helped with the clean-up in the bedrooms. Later that day, they were ushered into Ed's and Al's room since there was an Order meeting taking place. Ron and Hermione were in Harry's and Ron's room. Ed picked up a book, sat on his bed, and started to read. Winry sat on Ed's bed as Al sat on his own bed.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Winry asked.

"Who are you talking about?" Ed asked.

"The Order meeting," Winry said.

"It's none of our business, Winry," Al said. "We're underage."

"But still!" Winry protested. "Aren't you interested in what they're talking about?"

"I know I am," Ed said.

"Of course _you_ are," Winry said. "But what about you, Al?"

"A little, but I just think that they just want to protect us," Al answered.

"But we're not children," Winry said. "We'll be able to --."

"But I thought you said we should cherish the time we have as teenagers?" Ed reminded Winry. "Or was that another Winry?"

Winry slapped Ed on his left arm, but Ed just snickered.

"Yes, I did say that!" Winry said, blushing. "But it doesn't mean that we always have to be kept in the dark! Especially you, Edward."

Ed stopped reading and looked at Winry.

"What do you mean?" Ed asked.

"Winry means by what you went through in June," Al clarified. "You saw Voldemort come back to life and were tortured."

"They don't care," Ed muttered. "They just want to treat me like a child."

"About that, Al, how did you know that Ed was in the hospital wing?" Winry asked, curious. "You knew before everyone else and left the stadium."

"I saw Dad carrying Brother toward the castle," Al said, not looking at Ed or Winry.

"But how could you -- ?" Winry started.

"Winry, if Al doesn't want to tell us anything, then he doesn't have to," Ed interrupted, marking his place and putting his book aside. "Besides, Al will tell us when he's ready, won't you, Al?"

Al looked at Ed and smiled.

"Yeah," Al said. "Can I have a cat, Brother?"

Ed sighed.

"Fine, but only when we get our booklists, okay?" Ed said.

"Thank you, Brother!" Al said.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed said.

"When do you think Harry will get here?" Winry asked.

"I don't know, but I do know that he's gonna be pissed," Ed said. "He had Hedwig peck Ron's and Hermione's and Sirius's hands to hell and back."

Al and Winry didn't say anything. They knew Ed was right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

A few minutes later, Ed, Al, and Winry heard the front door open and close.

"He's here," Al said.

"Yup," Ed said.

"Do you think we should go to Harry's and Ron's room?" Al asked.

"No, let's wait," Ed answered.

"Why?" Winry asked.

"So Harry can get his cry-babin' over with," Ed replied.

"Coming from the king of cool," Winry remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ed demanded.

"Oh, nothing," Winry said loftily.

"Bitch," Ed said.

"Asshole!" Winry said.

Al sighed. A few moments later, they heard Harry screaming at the top of his lungs. Ed rolled his eyes and got up from the bed.

"Let's go join them," Ed said.

Then he, Al, and Winry went to Harry's and Ron's room.

"I thought I heard your voice, Harry," Ed said, coming into the room.

Winry shut the door behind them after they went in. Harry looked at Ed.

"You might have wanted to yell a bit louder for Amestris to hear you," Ed said, grinning.

"What are you doing here?" Harry snapped.

"Is that how you treat a dear friend?" Ed asked, grinning.

Harry didn't say anything.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Al asked.

"I'm just fine," Harry snapped.

"You don't have to take your anger out on Al," Winry snapped back. "He's just concerned, Harry James Potter. Besides, did you forget that Ed was tortured by Voldemort?"

Harry flushed. He _had_ forgotten.

"Sorry," Harry apologized. "What is this place?"

"Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," Al answered. "It's a secret society. Professor Dumbledore founded it. It's the people who fought Voldemort last time."

"Who's in it?" Harry asked.

"Quite a bit of people, but we've only met about twenty of 'em," Ed said. "They don't let us in on their meetings because -- ."

"But you're in the military, Ed," Harry cut him off. "They should at least -- what's so funny?"

Ed was laughing.

"Brother was put on probation by Fuhrer Bradley," Al said. "Fuhrer Bradley wants him to finish school first before going back to the military."

"Oh," Harry said, as Ed quit laughing.

"Besides, did you think that they'd still let me in?" Ed asked. "But we do know the general idea since Fred and George invented the Extendable Ears. They're really useful, but we've had to quit using them."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Mum found out about them and went berserk," Ron answered. "Fred and George had to hide them all to stop Mum from binning them. But we got a good bit of use out of them before Mum realized what was going on. We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, keeping tabs on them, you know -- ."

" -- some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Order," Hermione said.

"And some of them are guarding something," Al said.

"Couldn't have been me, could it?" Harry remarked.

Al glared at Harry.

"You don't have to be rude," Al said. "I know you've been kept in the dark, and that'll make anybody angry. But you shouldn't take it out on everybody you see."

Harry didn't know what to say to that, so he changed the subject.

"What have you been doing if you're not allowed to be in the meetings?" Harry asked.

"We've been cleaning this dump," Ed answered. "No one's been here for centuries, and it's a fuckin' dump."

"Edward, language," Winry sighed.

"You swear too," Ed pointed out.

Just then, Fred and George Apparated into the room, startling Hermione.

"Stop _doing_ that!" Hermione scolded.

"Hello, Harry," George beamed at Harry. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."

"You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out," Fred also beamed at Harry. "There might be people fifty miles away who couldn't hear you. Amestris might want to know too."

"You two passed your Apparition tests then?" Harry asked grumpily.

"With distinction," Fred answered, holding up a very long, flesh-colored string.

"You could have just used the stairs," Winry commented.

"Time is Galleons, Winry," Fred answered. "Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extendable Ears," he added in response to Harry's raised eyebrows, holding up the string, which Harry now saw was trailing out onto the landing. "We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."

"You want to be careful," Ron cautioned. "If Mum sees one of them again…"

"That's a major meeting they're having," Ed said. "It's worth it."

The door opened and a long mane of red hair appeared.

"Oh, hello, Harry!" Ginny said brightly. "I thought I heard your voice."

She turned to Fred and George.

"It's no go with the Extendable Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door," Ginny said.

"Aw man," Ed complained.

"How d'you know?" George asked, looking crestfallen.

"Tonks told me how to find out," Ginny replied. "You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact the door's been Imperturbed. I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar from away from it, so there's no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap."

"Shame," Fred sighed. "I really fancied finding out what old Snape's been up to."

"Snape?" Harry asked. "Is he here?"

"Yeah, Snake's here," Ed said.

George carefully shut the door and he, Fred, and Ginny sat on one of the beds.

"He's giving a report," George said. "Top secret."

"Git," Fred said idly.

"He's on our side now," Hermione reproved.

"So?" Ed asked. "That doesn't matter. He's still a jackass."

"Bill doesn't like him either," Ginny said, as though that settled the matter.

"I thought Bill was in Egypt," Harry said.

"He got a transfer here," Ed smirked. "He misses the tombs, but he has his compensations."

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked.

"Fleur Delacour got a job at Gringotts to _eemprove 'er Eeenglish_," Ed said, grinning.

"And Bill's been giving her private lessons," Fred sniggered.

"Charlie's in the Order too," George said, "but he's still in Romania. Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off."

"Couldn't Percy do that?" Harry asked.

Everyone exchanged darkly significant looks.

"He could if he weren't being a jackass," Ed replied.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"He means that you shouldn't mention Percy in front of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," Al clarified.

"Why?" Harry asked again.

"Because Mr. Weasley breaks whatever he's holding, and Mrs. Weasley starts crying," Al explained.

"It's really sad," Winry commented.

"I think we're well shut of him," George said with an ugly look on his face.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Percy and Dad had a row," Fred replied. "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that before. It's normally Mum who shouts…"

"It was the first week back after term ended," Ron continued. "We were about to come and join the Order here. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."

"You're kidding?" Harry said, surprised.

"Yeah, we were all surprised," George said, "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge, he wasn't going to complain…"

"Why did they promote him for?" Harry asked.

"That's exactly what we wondered," Ron said. "He came home really pleased with himself -- even more pleased than usual if you can imagine that -- and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office."

Ed growled at Fudge's name.

"A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts -- Junior Assistant to the Minister," Ron continued, ignoring Ed's growl. "He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."

"Only Dad wasn't," Fred said grimly.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Well, apparently, Fudge has been storming around the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore these days," George said.

"Dumbledore's name is mud with the Ministry these days, you see," Fred said. "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back."

"Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks," George said.

Fred, George, and Ron continued to tell Harry about the row between Percy and Mr. Weasley, and then Ron said that Ed's and Harry's names got dragged into the row.

"Percy said the only evidence were your and Ed's word, and…I dunno…he didn't think it was good enough, especially…," Ron started.

"Especially what?" Harry asked.

"Ed has to repeat the fifth year," Ron said.

"WHAT?" Harry asked as Ed growled again. "Why?"

"Because I didn't take the O.W.L. exams," Ed said.

"But you were exempt!" Harry said.

"That bastard doesn't care," Ed fumed.

"Percy takes the _Daily Prophet _seriously," Hermione criticized.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Haven't you been reading the _Daily Prophet_?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, I have!" Harry answered.

"Cover to cover?" Ed asked again.

"No," Harry said defensively. "If they were going to report about Voldemort it would be headline news, wouldn't it?"

"You'd need to read it cover to cover to pick it up," Ed said, ignoring the wincing around him. "We're mentioned a couple of times a week. I'm not talking about big articles, just small ones. We're slipped in like a standing joke. They're building on Rita's stuff."

"But she's not writing for them anymore, is she?" Harry asked.

"Oh no," Hermione said with satisfaction. "She's kept her promise --- not that she has a choice. But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now."

"Which is _what_?" Harry asked impatiently.

Hermione explained about how the _Daily Prophet_ was making Harry out to be a delusional person wanting attention and that Ed is just a delinquent wanting attention.

"And they didn't report a word about the dementors attacking you or Ed being held back," Hermione continued, and then adding as Ed growled, "Will you stop it? You're starting to sound like a dog!"

"I'm not a dog!" Ed shouted.

"Then stop growling!" Winry agreed with Hermione.

Before Ed could say anything more, footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs.

"Uh-oh," Fred said, giving the Extendable Ear a hearty tug.

There was a crack and he and George vanished. Seconds later, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the bedroom doorway.

"The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now," Mrs. Weasley said to everyone in the room, then looking at Harry. "Everyone's dying to see you, Harry. And who's left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door?"

"Crookshanks," Ginny lied. "He loves playing with them."

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said. "I thought it might have been Kreacher, he keeps doing odd things like that. Now don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy. What have you been doing? Go and wash them before dinner, please… And Edward, _please_ behave and do not jump off the banister _again_."

Ginny grimaced at the others and followed her mother out of the room, leaving Harry alone with Ron, Hermione, Ed, Al, and Winry. Harry started to feel ashamed.

"Look," Harry started.

"Harry, don't worry about it," Ed said. "We all knew you'd be angry. And we all did want to tell you, but Bumblebore --."

"_Dumbledore!_" Hermione corrected.

"Whatever," Ed said. "We forgive you, so chill. And before you ask, Kreacher is the wacko house-elf whose life ambition is to have his head chopped off and become a disgusting decoration."

"Oh," Harry said.

"Kreacher is _not_ a _wacko_, Edward," Hermione said angrily.

"He is and you know it," Ed said. "You need to give up on that vomit crap."

Ron laughed and Harry couldn't help but to grin as Winry rolled her eyes and Al looked clueless.

"It is not 'vomit'," Hermione said. "It's S.P.E.W.! The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare!"

"Whatever," Ed brushed off.

"You jumped off the banister?" Harry asked.

"I was bored," Ed said.

They left the room and went to the landing, and Ron stopped them from going any farther since the hallway below was still packed with wizards and witches. Snape could also be seen.

"There's Snake," Ed said.

"Snape," Hermione corrected.

"Snake sounds perfect," Fred said, lowering an Extendable Ear toward the dark knot of people below and then hoisting it back up as the crowd moved out of sight. "Dammit."

They heard the front door open and close.

"Snape never eats here," Ron told Harry. "Thank God. C'mon."

"And don't forget to keep your voice down in the hall, Harry," Hermione whispered.

As they all passed the row of house-elf heads on the wall they saw Remus, Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks at the front door, magically sealing its many locks and bolts behind those who had just left.

"We're eating down in the kitchen," Mrs. Weasley whispered, meeting them at the bottom of the stairs and looking at Harry. "Harry, dear, if you'll just tiptoe across the hall, it's through this door here --"

_CRASH!_

"_Tonks!_" Mrs. Weasley cried exasperatedly, turning to look behind her.

"I'm sorry!" Tonks wailed, who was lying flat on the floor. "It's that stupid umbrella stand, that's the second time I've tripped over -- ."

But the rest of her words were drowned out by a horrible, earsplitting, bloodcurdling screech. The moth-eaten velvet curtains had flown apart and revealed a painting of an old woman in a black cap screaming as though she was being tortured. The old woman was drooling, her eyes were rolling, the yellowing skin of her face stretched tight as she screamed, and all along the hall behind them, the other portraits began to scream, so that everyone clapped their hands over their ears.

"SHUT UP!" yelled a voice.

A flash of light later, the curtain was closed and silence followed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"SHUT UP!" yelled a voice.

A flash of light later, the curtain was closed and silence followed. Harry looked to see where the voice and light came from and was shocked to see that it came from Al. Ed was patting Al on the back. Sirius came a moment later.

"I guess I wasn't needed to shut my mother up after all," Sirius commented. "Are you all right, Alphonse?"

Al nodded and went on his way into the kitchen. Ed and Winry followed.

"That's your -- ?" Harry started.

"Yeah, my mum," Sirius answered. "We've been trying to get her down for a month, but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas. Let's get downstairs, quick, before they all wake up again."

"But what's a portrait of your mother doing here?" Harry asked, bewildered, as they went through the door from the hall and led the way down a flight of narrow stone steps, the others just behind them.

"Hasn't anyone told you?" Sirius asked. "This dump, as Edward puts it, was my parents' house. But I'm the last Black left, so it's mine now. I offered it to Dumbledore for headquarters -- about the only useful thing I've been able to do."

Harry noticed the hardness and bitterness in Sirius's voice. He followed his godfather to the bottom of the stairs. Sirius let the others go in, but held Harry back.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I've got to tell you this, Harry," Sirius said. "It's about Alphonse."

"What about him?" Harry asked.

"Don't ask Alphonse about how he was able to close the curtain over my mother's portrait," Sirius cautioned.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because he'll just say that he doesn't know," Sirius answered. "Izumi Curtis, the new Alchemy teacher, told Dumbledore that Alphonse is a bit different now, but he's still the same."

"How can that be?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Sirius said. "But the only person who could possibly know is Edward and Alphonse's father, but he hasn't been seen for a long time."

Then Sirius went into the kitchen and Harry followed. Once in the kitchen, Harry could see that Ed was being scolded by Mrs. Weasley for trying to 'help' clear the table of the Order of the Phoenix stuff.

"Okay, okay," Ed lied. "I got it. I'll never do it again."

"Edward, if I had a knut every time you said that, I'd be a rich person by now," Mrs. Weasley said as she went to get dinner plates from an ancient looking dresser.

Bill vanished the things and greeted Harry as did Mr. Weasley.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Ed asked, grinning.

"No, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, "I'm just saying that you have a knack for trouble-making."

"I can't help it if I'm curious," Ed excused.

"Edward, curious describes a two year old," Winry said, helping set the table. "You're just plain nosy. And give that here!" Winry added to Mundungus Fletcher as she snatched away his pipe before he got a chance to smoke it. "We're about to eat and that just smells disgusting! You'll get it back before you leave!"

Winry handed the pipe to Mrs. Weasley, who pocketed it.

"Thank you, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"You're welcome!" Winry chimed.

Harry, Sirius, Ed, and Mundungus talked at the table. Crookshanks got onto Sirius's lap, and Sirius scratched him absentmindedly behind the ears as he turned, still grim-faced, to Harry.

"Had a good summer so far?" Sirius asked.

"No, it's been lousy," Harry said.

For the first time, something like a grin flitted across Sirius's face.

"Don't know what you're complaining about, myself," Sirius said.

"_What?_" Harry asked, shocked.

"Personally, I'd have welcomed a dementor attack," Sirius said. "A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely. You think you've had it bad, at least you've been able to get out and about, stretch your legs, get into a few fights…I've been stuck inside for a month."

"Why?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Because the Ministry is still after him, and Body-butt's groupies will know that Sirius can turn into a big, black dog because of rat guy," Ed said. "I was attacked by Scar, the State Alchemist killer before coming here."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yup," Ed said. "He found out about me going to Hogwarts and," Ed whistled, "boy, was he fuckin' pissed."

"EDWARD!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

Ed flinched.

"Dumbledore seems to feel that there's not much I can do for the Order of the Phoenix right now," Sirius said, flatly.

"At least you know what's going on," Harry said.

"Oh, yeah," Sirius remarked. "Listening to 'Snake's' reports, having to take all his snide hints that he's out there risking his life while I'm sat on my backside here having a nice comfortable time…asking me how the cleaning's going -- ."

"What cleaning?" Harry asked.

"Trying to make this 'dump' fit for habitation," Sirius explained, waving a hand over the dismal kitchen. "No one's lived here for ten years, not since my dear mother died, unless you count her old house-elf, and he's gone round the twist, hasn't cleaned anything in ages --."

"Sirius?" Mundungus asked. "This solid silver, mate?"

"Yes," Sirius said, surveying the silver goblet in distaste. "Finest fifteenth-century goblin wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest."

"That'd come off, though," Mundungus muttered, polishing it with his cuff.

"Fred -- George -- NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

Ed, Harry, Sirius, and Mundungus looked around and, a split second later, dived away from the table. Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air toward them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface, the flagon of butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere, and the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Mrs. Weasley screamed. "THERE WAS NO NEED -- I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS -- JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO MAGIC NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" Fred said, hurrying over and wrenching the knife out of the table. "Sorry, Sirius, mate -- didn't mean to --"

As Harry and Sirius laughed, Ed and Mundungus were both swearing as they got to their feet. Crookshanks hissed and shot off under the dresser.

"Boys," Mr. Weasley said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, "your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age."

"None of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs. Weasley raged at the twins, as she slammed a fresh iron flagon of butterbeer onto the table and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't Charm everything he met! Percy -- !"

Mrs. Weasley stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.

"Let's eat," Bill quickly said.

"It looks wonderful, Molly," Remus commented, ladling stew onto a plate for her and handing it across the table.

For a few minutes, there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Then Mrs. Weasley turned to Sirius and said, "I've been meaning to tell you, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it might just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."

"Whatever you like," Sirius said indifferently.

"The curtains in there are full of doxies, too," Mrs. Weasley went on. "I thought we might try and tackle them tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Yeah, it sounds fun-filled beyond belief," Ed remarked.

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

"What?" Ed asked.

Winry scowled.

"Nothing," Winry sighed.

Three helpings of rhubarb crumble and custard later, Ed was getting the last crumbs off of his plate as Harry set his spoon down in a lull in the general conversation. Mr. Weasley was leaning back in his chair, looking replete and relaxed, Tonks was yawning widely, her nose now back to normal, and Ginny, who had lured Crookshanks out from under the dresser, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolling butterbeer corks for him to chase. Al was sitting beside Ginny.

"Do you have anymore?" Ed asked.

"Edward!" Winry scolded. "You'll get fat if you keep eating!"

"Sorry, dear, but I haven't any left," Mrs. Weasley said. "But I will make extra tomorrow."

"Yes!" Ed said, punching the air with a fist.

Winry rolled her eyes as Al chuckled.

"Nearly time for bed, I think," Mrs. Weasley yawned.

"Not just yet, Molly," Sirius said, pushing his empty plate away and turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

The atmosphere changed dramatically. Where seconds before it had been sleepily relaxed, it was now alert, even tense. A thrill went around the table at the mention of Voldemort's name. Remus lowered his wine goblet slowly, looking wary.

"I did!" Harry said indignantly. "I asked Ed and Al and Hermione and Ron and Winry, but they said that we're not allowed in the Order, so -- !"

"And they're quite right," Mrs. Weasley said. "You're too young."

She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, her fists clenched upon its arms, every trace of drowsiness gone.

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" Sirius asked. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen -- ."

"Hang on!" George said loudly.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" Fred asked angrily.

"_We've_ been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!" George pointed out.

Fred complained, and then Mrs. Weasley and Sirius argued on what was best for Harry and what wasn't.

"Will you two stop it?" Al spoke up.

Mrs. Weasley and Sirius stopped arguing and looked at Al as did everyone else.

"I'm sorry for interfering, but I just don't like it when people argue," Al said. "I hear enough from Brother and Winry, and I don't want to hear it from anyone else. You two are grown adults, so you should just act like it."

Al stood and went to his and Ed's room. Everyone was speechless until…

"I think Alphonse is quite right, Molly, Sirius," Remus said. "It is best if we were the ones to tell Harry _and_ Edward the general picture from us, rather than a garbled version from others."

"But why Edward?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"He also saw Voldemort come back to life and was tortured," Remus said. "He has the right to know as well."

"Nah, I don't think I'll listen in on this conversation," Ed said, standing and stretching. "I think I'll pass this time."

"Why?" Ron asked. "You've been complaining about not being able to --."

"Yeah, I know, but I don't wanna hear everyone bitchin' at each other," Ed said. "It gets kind of annoying when it's grown-ups arguing. Harry, or someone else, can fill me in tomorrow. I am freakin' beat."

Then Ed went up to his and Al's room.

"I'm going to bed too," Winry said. "Good night, everyone."

Then Winry went to her bedroom as well.

"Those kids," Mrs. Weasley muttered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

When Ed got to his and Al's room, he shut the door behind him and locked it so Kreacher wouldn't be able to come in. He saw that Al was already dressed in pajamas and sitting on his bed with a distant look in his eyes.

"Al?" Ed asked.

Al blinked and looked at Ed.

"Yeah, Brother?" Al asked, looking at Ed.

"Are you all right?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, I'm all right," Al said.

"Are you sure?" Ed asked.

"I'm sure," Al assured.

"You've been acting kinda out there lately," Ed said. "You sure you're not goin' through puberty or something?"

"It's not puberty, Brother," Al scowled.

"Then why -- ?" Ed started.

"I don't know, Ed," Al snapped. "I told you and Teacher and everyone else: I don't _know_ why I'm… different. Maybe it's because my body was in the Gate for too long. Maybe I just became a freak."

"Hey, Al, you're not a freak, okay?" Ed said. "Don't say that about yourself. You're just still getting used to your body, all right? It'll be okay, Al. Just get some sleep."

Al nodded.

"I still get a cat, don't I?" Al asked.

Ed snickered.

"Yeah, Al, you still get a cat," Ed said. "Let's get some sleep."

Al nodded again. A few moments later, they were both asleep. The next day, Ed, Al, and Winry helped get rid of the doxies and helped cleaning out the cabinets in the drawing room. During the next few days, all they ever did was 'clean' to help make the house habitable. At dinner on Wednesday evening, Mrs. Weasley brought up Harry's hearing.

"I've ironed your best clothes for tomorrow morning, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said. "I want you to wash your hair tonight too. A good first impression can work wonders."

Ed, Winry, Al, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny all stopped talking and looked over at Harry.

"Yeah, that's if Harry can keep his hair flat," Ed remarked.

Mrs. Weasley sent Ed a glare.

"How am I getting there, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked.

"Arthur's taking you to work with him," Mrs. Weasley said gently to Harry.

Mr. Weasley smiled encouragingly at Harry across the table.

"You can wait in my office until it's time for the hearing," Mr. Weasley said.

"Professor Dumbledore doesn't think it's a good idea for Sirius to go with you, and I must say I --," Mrs. Weasley started.

" -- think he's _quite right_," Sirius completed through clenched teeth.

Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips.

"When did Dumbledore tell you that?" Harry asked, staring at Sirius.

"He came last night while you were asleep," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Oh," Harry said.

"How are you going to pay for your school supplies, Alphonse?" Hermione asked.

"I'm going to meet Teacher at Diagon Alley when the booklists finally come in," Al answered. "She doesn't want the military paying for my things like how they're paying for Brother's things."

"So, they're still paying for Ed's school stuff?" Ron asked. "Why?"

"Because I'm still with them even though I've been given time off to finish school," Ed said. "There's nothing else I can do."

"There are a lot of things you can do, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "You can do anything you put your mind to."

Ed smiled.

"Thanks," Ed said, softly.

Mrs. Weasley did a double-take but smiled at Ed. Fred laughed and ruffled Ed's hair.

"Aw, is ickle Eddie-kins getting emotional?" Fred joked.

"STOP IT!" Ed yelled, pushing Fred away. "And stop messing with my hair! And don't call me that!"

"You afwaid Fwed will mess it up?" George joked.

"I said, stop it!" Ed snapped.

Sirius and Harry and everyone else were laughing.

"All right, boys," Mrs. Weasley said. "That's enough."

"You better sleep with one eye open," Ed threatened.

"Ooh, we're so afraid," Fred said.

Ed scowled as he took his hair out of his braid. Mrs. Weasley frowned.

"Edward, don't mess with your hair at the table," Mrs. Weasley said.

"It'll only be a second, Mrs. Weasley," Ed said, as he re-braided his hair. "There."

"How long have you let your hair grow out?" Bill asked.

"Ever since I was eleven, I think," Ed answered. "Somewhere around there."

"I think you might need a haircut," Mrs. Weasley said.

"No thanks," Ed said. "I like it long…so does Winry."

Ed grinned at Winry, and she blushed as she looked away.

"Hey," Fred and George said together.

"But still, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Give him a break, Molly," Sirius said. "If he wants it long, let him keep it long."

Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips.

"Dad has long hair," Al said.

"Al…," Ed warned.

"Sorry, Brother," Al apologized.

"Eh, don't worry about it," Ed said.

The next day was Harry's hearing, and of course, Harry was cleared. When the booklists finally arrived, it was the last day of the summer holidays. Ed, Al, and Winry were in drawing room and each reading a book when Hermione came to them with their booklists.

"About time," Ed said, getting his letter from Hermione.

Hermione gave Al and Winry's theirs. Al, Winry, and Ed opened their letters and looked at the lists.

"Aren't you going to open yours?" Ed asked Hermione without looking at her.

"I already did," Hermione beamed.

Ed looked at Hermione.

"You look like you've been made Supreme Ruler of the Universe," Ed remarked.

Al and Winry looked at Hermione as well.

"What happened?" Al asked.

"I got made Prefect," Hermione said.

"And that means something because…?" Ed asked.

"It means that I get authority over the other students," Hermione practically bubbled.

"Oh, that," Ed said. "Sounds fun-filled beyond belief. Congrats."

Hermione frowned for a moment and then happily ran off to tell Harry and Ron. Ed rolled his eyes.

"What's a Prefect?" Al asked.

"It's where you get to tell other students what to do," Ed explained.

"Oh," Al said. "Do I have to get a hat and a Monster Book of Monsters? The book sounds scary."

"Ah, don't worry about the book," Ed said. "We hardly used them. And we hardly wear the hats, so nah."

"Okay," Al said.

"I guess Professor Dumbledore finally found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Winry said.

"Guess so," Ed said. "_Defense Magical Theory_…I don't like the sound of that."

"Why not?" Al asked.

"Because it says 'theory'," Ed said.

"Oh, I get what you mean," Al said. "You're afraid that we won't practice the spells."

"Bingo," Ed said.

"Don't worry," Winry said. "I'm sure you're just overreacting."

"If you say so," Ed said. "But don't say I didn't tell you so because --."

"Be quiet," Winry said.

Mrs. Weasley came in a moment later, her arms full with laundered clothes.

"You three had better start packing," Mrs. Weasley said.

"We're already packed," Al said. "The booklists have arrived."

"That's what Ginny told me," Mrs. Weasley said. "Well, this afternoon we all can go to Diagon Alley to get the supplies and your robes, Alphonse. And Edward, you've grown so much. We need to get you some new robes as well."

Ed smirked.

"Well, I've better take these to Harry and Ronald," Mrs. Weasley said.

As soon as Mrs. Weasley was out of earshot, Ed turned to Winry.

"It seems that you get to marry me after all," Ed said, grinning.

"Who said I said that I'd marry you?" Winry asked.

"Let me get this straight," Ed said, "as kids, you said that you wouldn't marry me because I was shorter than you. But now since I've grown to be half a foot taller than you, you're saying that you won't marry me?!"

Sirius, who just walked in, stopped in his tracks.

"Am I interrupting something?" Sirius asked, grinning slightly.

Ed and Winry looked at Sirius and blushed, realizing that he had heard their argument. Al was chuckling to himself.

"If I am, I'll leave so you can propose to Winry in private, Ed," Sirius said, still grinning.

Ed threw his book at Sirius.

"GET OUT!" Ed yelled.

Sirius chuckled and ducked the book as he left.

"Asshole," Ed muttered.

At noon, Ed, Al, and Winry went with Mrs. Weasley to Diagon Alley where they met up with Izumi.

"Hi, boys, Winry," Izumi greeted. "How is everything going?"

"Good," Al said.

"I'm glad," Izumi said. "If it's all right with you, Molly, I'll take Alphonse with me to get his things, and Ed and Winry can go with you. I'm sure you'll need help carrying things."

"That sounds good," Mrs. Weasley agreed. "We can meet at the Leaky Cauldron after we're finished?"

"Yes, we can," Izumi said. "Edward, behave."

"Yes, Ma'am," Ed obeyed.

"See you in a bit, Edward!" Izumi beamed.

Ed groaned as he and Winry went with Mrs. Weasley.

'_Women…,'_ Ed thought. _'I'll never understand them.'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

When Ed, Al, Winry, and Mrs. Weasley returned to Grimmauld Place, it was around six o'clock that evening. After Al packed his trunk, he, Ed, and Winry went down to the basement. Al was also holding his new cat, Pegasus, as they did so.

"Oh, it's adorable!" Tonks said once she saw Pegasus.

"His name is Pegasus," Al said, brightly. "The lady at the Magical Menagerie said that he's been there for a while."

Pegasus was a white Persian with blue eyes.

"He looks like Crookshanks," Hermione commented. "They could be brothers."

"Maybe," Al said.

As the congratulatory party commenced, Al let Pegasus down to explore the house so Al could get things to eat. Halfway through the party, Professor McGonagall came with the three-legged stool and a worn out looking hat. Everyone stopped what they were doing as McGonagall told everyone to be quiet so she could sort Al.

"But the Sorting is usually done at the school," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Yes, Molly, I know," said McGonagall, "but this time, Professor Dumbledore has chosen to have Alphonse Sorted here. Come here, Alphonse."

Ed pat Al on the back and gave him a reassuring smile. Al gulped and went to the center of the basement, aware of the stares following him. He sat down on the stool and looked at McGonagall.

"It will take only a moment, Alphonse," McGonagall said.

Al nodded. McGonagall put the hat onto Al's head.

"Ah, another Elric," the Sorting Hat said into Al's ear.

"You can talk?" Al asked, eliciting laughter from the crowd watching, making Al blush in embarrassment.

"Yes, I can talk," the Sorting Hat said. "Don't be embarrassed. You've got plenty of curiosity and bravery. You also have smarts and cunning. Very much like your brother excluding the attitude problem. A couple of secrets as well… Hmmm…. Where to put you? You would do well in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

"I want to be in Gryffindor with Brother," Al told the hat.

Fred and George could be heard making fake retching noises.

"Are you sure?" the hat asked.

"Yes," Al answered.

"Very well…," the hat replied. "I will put you in…GRYFFINDOR!"

Al gasped happily as McGonagall took the hat off. The crowd clapped in congratulations as Al went to Ed and Winry. Ed ruffled Al's hair.

"Stop it!" Al said.

Ed laughed. Throughout the rest of the party, Al received many pats on the back and words of congratulations. The next morning, Ed was woken up by Al shaking him awake.

"I don't want milk!" Ed complained.

"I didn't say for you to drink milk," Al chuckled. "It's time to get up."

Ed groaned as he sat up in bed. He looked to see that Al was already dressed. Pegasus was already in his cat carrier.

"What time is it?" Ed asked.

"I'm not sure, but we're going to miss the train if you don't get dressed and ready, Brother," Al said.

"All right," Ed sighed.

Then Ed got out of bed and got dressed. It was during that time that Ed could hear Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Black screaming over each other.

"Wow, that's a racket," Ed said, re-braiding his hair.

Ed winced as Mrs. Weasley barked for them to get down to the main floor so they could leave. It took about twenty minutes for them all to get to King's Cross Station. Once inside the station, they lingered casually beside the barrier between platforms nine and ten until the coast was clear, then each of them leaned against it in turn and fell easily through onto platform nine and three quarters, where the Hogwarts Express stood belching sooty steam over a platform packed with departing students and their families.

After all the farewells, the Weasley twins, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al, and Winry got onto the train before it left. As the train left the platform, Sirius the dog ran along the platform as if he were chasing the train. When the train went around the corner, Sirius was gone.

"He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione said in a worried voice.

"Ah, don't be so hard on 'im," Ed said, waving a hand. "He needed to get a little fresh air."

"Well," Fred said, clapping his hands together, "can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later."

Then he and George disappeared down the corridor to the right. The train was gathering still more speed, so that the houses outside the window flashed past and they swayed where they stood.

"While you talk, I'm gonna find a compartment," Ed said. "See ya."

Then he, Al, and Winry went to find their own compartment, but had to end up sharing with a girl with straggly, waist-length, dirty-blonde hair, very pale eyebrows, an protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look.

"Do you mind if we sit with you?" Al asked.

"I don't mind," the girl, Luna Lovegood, said. "Go right ahead."

"Thank you," Al said.

A few moments later, Harry, Ginny, and Neville came in with their things. Al bolted up from his seat and helped Ginny put her trunk onto the luggage rack as Ed had helped Winry before.

"Thank you, Alphonse," Ginny said.

"You're welcome," Al said, blushing.

Ed grinned as Al sat back next to him.

"What?" Al asked.

"Nothing," Ed lied. "Nothing at all."

"Have a good summer, Luna?" Ginny asked Luna.

"Yes," Luna answered dreamily, not taking her eyes off Harry. "Yes, it was quite enjoyable, you know. _You're_ Harry Potter."

"I know I am," Harry said.

Neville chuckled as Ed shook with suppressed laughter. Winry nudged Ed with her elbow. Luna looked at Neville and Al.

"And I don't know who you two are," Luna said.

"I'm Alphonse Elric, Ed's brother," Al said.

"And I'm nobody," Neville said hurriedly.

"No, you're not," Ginny said sharply. "Neville Longbottom -- Luna Lovegood. Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

"'_Wit beyond measure is man's great treasure,'_" Luna sang.

She raised her upside-down magazine high enough to hide her face and fell silent. The train ride was silent except for the purring of Pegasus until…

"Guess what I got for my birthday!" Neville said.

"Another Remembrall?" Harry asked.

"No," Neville said. "I could do with one though --"

"What's a Remembrall?" Al asked.

Ginny told him what it was.

"Oh," Al said. "Brother needs one."

"Hey!" Ed protested. "That's not funny!"

Al chuckled.

"Look at this," Neville said.

Neville dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor the toad into his school bag and a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small gray cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Ed exclaimed.

"_Mimbulus mimbletonia,_" Neville said proudly.

Ed, Al, and Winry all had matching looks of disgust .

"It's really, really rare," Neville beamed. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

"Great," Ed remarked. "Sounds fun."

Neville missed the sarcasm and smiled at Ed.

"Does it -- er -- do anything?" Harry asked, receiving glares from Ed and Winry.

"Loads of stuff!" Neville said proudly. "It's got an amazing defensive mechanism -- hold Trevor for me…"

He dumped the toad into Harry's lap and took a quill from his schoolbag. Luna Lovegood's popping eyes appeared over the top of her upside down magazine again, watching what Neville was doing. Neville held his plant up to his eyes, chose a spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.

Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant, thick, stinking, dark green jets of it; they hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna Lovegood's magazine. Ginny only got some in her hair since she covered her face as did Ed, Al, and Winry, but Neville and Harry received the face full. It smelled like…

"It smells like shit!" Ed complained.

"S-sorry!" Neville gasped. "I haven't tried that before…didn't realize it would be quite so… Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," Neville added as Harry spit some onto the floor.

At that precise moment the door of their compartment slid open.

"Oh…hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. "Um…bad time?"

As Harry wiped his glasses clean, Ed, Al, Winry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna turned to see that it was Cho Chang in the doorway. Al lightly blushed.

"Oh…hi," Harry said blankly.

"Um…," Cho said. "Well…just thought I'd say hello…'bye then."

Cho closed the door, rather pink in the face, and left. Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned.

"Don't worry, Harry, I'm sure you'll have another chance with her," Ed snickered.

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

Ginny vanished the goop as Neville apologized again.

"Don't apologize, Neville," Winry said kindly. "You didn't know that that would happen."

Neville nodded. An hour later, Ron and Hermione returned from the prefects cabin with their trunks and pets in tow. They put their pets and trunks up and sat down.

"I'm starving," Ron said, taking a Chocolate Frog from Harry and biting its head off after ripping off its wrapping.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," Hermione said, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."

"And Mal-fart's the one from Slytherin, isn't he?" Ed said.

"Yup," Ron said, confirming Harry's worst fear.

"Not surprised," Ed muttered.

"And that complete _cow_ Pansy Parkinson," Hermione ranted viciously. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll…"

"Geez, Hermione, don't be so calm," Ed remarked.

Hermione shot Ed a glare.

"Who's Hufflepuff?" Harry asked.

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," Ron answered thickly.

"There's this thing called _swallowing_ before you talk," Winry remarked.

Ron's ears turned red with embarrassment.

"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," Hermione continued.

"You went to the ball with Padma Patil," Luna said, looking at Ron over her magazine, _The Quibbler_.

Ron swallowed his mouthful of Frog.

"Yeah, I know I did," Ron said, mildly surprised.

"She didn't enjoy it very much," Luna informed Ron. "She doesn't think you treated her very well, because you didn't dance with her. I don't think I'd have minded. I don't like dancing very much."

"Then you shouldn't go to any dances, then," Ed said.

"Brother!" Al scolded.

"I suppose you're right," Luna said.

She retreated back behind _The Quibbler_ again. Ron checked his watch.

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," Ron said, "and we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something…"

"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!" Hermione snapped.

As Ron and Hermione argued, Ed rolled his eyes.

"Hey, let me look at that," Ed said to Luna.

"All right," Luna said, giving Ed the magazine as Ron told a joke.

Everyone but Ed, Al, and Winry laughed. Ed rolled his eyes, Winry scowled, and Al smiled sheepishly since he hadn't properly met Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Ed looked at the cover of _The Quibbler_. The cover had a bad cartoon of Cornelius Fudge. One of his hands was clenched around a bag of gold and the other was throttling a goblin. The cartoon was captioned: HOW FAR WILL FUDGE GO TO GAIN GRINGOTTS?

Beneath this were listed the titles of other articles inside the magazine:

**CORRUPTION IN THE QUIDDITCH LEAGUE:**

**How the Tornados Are Taking Control**

**SECRETS OF THE ANCIENT RUNES REVEALED**

**SIRIUS BLACK: Villain or Victim?**

As Ed flipped through the magazine, he came across the Sirius article and furrowed his brows in skepticism as he read it and then laughed out loud as he read the article about Cornelius Fudge.

"Give me a break," Ed snickered.

"Let me see it," Harry said.

Ed gave the magazine to Harry. Harry looked through the magazine as well and read the same articles as Ed.

"Anything good in there?" Ron asked as Harry closed the magazine.

"Only if you like fantasy stories!" Ed laughed.

"Edward's right," Hermione said. "That's all it's good for. Everyone knows that _The Quibbler_ is rubbish."

"Excuse me," Luna said, her voice losing its dreamy quality. "My father's the editor."

Ed laughed again as Luna snatched the magazine from Harry. Just then the compartment door opened.

**Author's Note:** I hope you liked this! Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Hi! Thank you for all of the reviews! We just had an inspection by HUD over at my apartment complex and everything had to be spic and span! Oi, was it a nightmare! It's over now, but it's draining, you know? I hope you enjoy these chapters!

**Chapter Six**

The compartment door opened, and everyone except for Luna looked to see that it was Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"What do you want, Mal-fart?" Ed asked.

"Manners, Elric, or I'll have to give you a detention," Malfoy threatened.

"Ooh," Ed remarked, "I'm so scared."

Malfoy glared at Ed and then noticed Al.

"I see you've got your little brother here with you," Malfoy said. "Is he in Gryffindor like you, loser?"

"Loser?" Ed asked, standing. "Now, that's _really_ original. But you could have used something a _bit more_ original."

"Oh, really," Malfoy said. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Malfoy, get out!" Hermione said.

"You all better watch yourselves," Malfoy warned, "because I'll be _dogging_ your footsteps."

"Get out!" Hermione repeated.

Malfoy left and Ed shut the door behind Malfoy and Crabbe and Goyle. Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al, and Winry exchanged glances. They all registered what Malfoy had said and were unnerved about it.

"Chuck us another Frog," Ron said, noticing nothing.

The weather remained undecided as they traveled farther and farther north. Rain spattered the windows in a halfhearted way, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up _The Quibbler_, put it carefully away in her bag, and took to staring at everyone in the compartment instead.

"We'd better change," Hermione said at last.

They all changed into their robes. At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready for departure. Hermione and Ron had to supervise all this and disappeared from the carriage. Ed, Al, and Winry got their trunks and pets and went on their way, leaving Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville to fend for themselves. When out of the train and on the platform, Ed, Al, and Winry did not hear Hagrid calling out for the first years but Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures for a while the previous year.

"Come on," Winry said. "Let's go find a coach."

They walked for a while and found the coach that were pulled by the Thestrals.

"What are those?" Al asked. "Are they chimera?"

"Oh, you can see them too?" a voice behind them asked.

Ed, Al, and Winry looked to see Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny were behind them. The one who had spoken was Luna.

"Yeah," Ed said. "We can."

They all went into the coach, and even though it was a tight squeeze, they all fit.

"What in the world were you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"The horses that draw the coaches," Harry answered.

"Impossible," Hermione said. "Nothing draws the coaches. They draw _themselves_."

"For someone so 'smart', you sure can be stupid," Ed commented.

Hermione gaped at Ed as Ron, Harry, and Ginny shared a grin.

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

"It's all right," Hermione huffed. "If Edward wants to be rude, let him be rude. I don't care."

"You'll learn about them in Care of Magical Creatures this year, so --" Ed started.

"Learn about _what_?" Ron asked.

"You'll see," Winry said.

As the coach moved the castle, the silhouettes of the horses could be seen moving beyond the windows.

"Did everyone see that Grubbly-Plank woman?" Ginny asked. "What's she doing back here? Hagrid can't have left, can he?"

"I'll be quite glad if he has," Luna commented. "He isn't a very good teacher, is he?"

"Just because _you_ don't like him, it doesn't mean we don't!" Winry snapped. "He's a good teacher."

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Ed agreed. Hermione only agreed after Harry glared at her.

"Well, we think he's a bit of a joke in Ravenclaw," Luna said, unfazed.

"I'm glad I'm not in Ravenclaw then," Al spoke up.

Everyone looked at Al. Al flushed.

"Well, I just think it's rude to make fun of people, that's all," Al said. "Besides, I think he's a nice person."

The rest of the coach ride was silent. When at the castle, everyone got out and went into the entrance hall that was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast. The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another's new haircuts and robes.

Luna drifted away from them at the Ravenclaw table. The moment they reached Gryffindor's, Ginny was hailed by some fellow fourth years and left to sit with them. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ed, Al, and Winry found seats together about halfway down the table between Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor House ghost, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

"There's Mrs. Curtis," Harry said. "But…he's not there."

Everyone looked to the staff table and saw that Hagrid wasn't there. Izumi, though, waved and smiled at Ed, Al, and Winry. The latter group waved back.

As Harry, Ron, and Hermione talked amongst themselves, Ed, Al, and Winry scanned the staff table a bit more.

"That's the ugliest woman I've ever seen," Ed commented. "If she's even human."

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

"It's true, Winry," Al said. "She looks like a toad."

"Yeah, Winry, look at that ugly bitch!" Ed said.

"Well…," Winry said. "I guess you're right."

Harry turned to see who they were talking about and was shocked to see the person who was talking to Dumbledore. She was squat with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched her fluffy pink cardigan that she wore over her robes. She turned her face a bit to take a drink from her goblet and was revealed to have a pallid, toad like face with prominent, pouchy eyes.

"It's that Umbridge woman!" Harry shouted.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"She was at my hearing," Harry explained. "She works for Fudge!"

"Then she should be able to afford better clothes," Ed remarked.

"She must be the new Defense teacher," Winry said. "If she is, then Ed is right to be concerned."

"Told you so," Ed said.

"Shut up!" Winry said.

"No, surely not," Hermione said.

"It's the only explanation," Ed sing-sang.

A few moments later the Sorting Hat sang its song (Al was wide-eyed during it) and then became motionless again.

"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" Ron asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Too right it has," Harry agreed.

"No shit," Ed agreed as well.

"I wonder if it's ever given warnings before?" Hermione asked, anxiously.

"Yes, indeed," Nearly Headless Nick said knowledgably, leaning across Neville toward her. "The hat feels itself honor-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels --"

But McGonagall started the Sorting. After the Sorting, Dumbledore stood up with his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his face.

"To our newcomers," Dumbledore said in a ringing voice, "welcome! To our old hands -- welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his should so as to keep it out of the way of his plate -- for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice.

"Excellent," Ron said in longing.

He started piling his plate with food as did Ed and Al and Winry.

"What were you saying before the Sorting?" Hermione asked Nearly Headless Nick, who was watching Ron eat. "About the hat giving warnings?"

"Oh, yes," Nick said, glad to have a reason to turn away from Ron who was eating indecently enthusiastically. "Yes, I have heard the hat give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: Stand together, be strong from within."

"Ow kunnit nofe skusin danger ifzat?" Ron asked with his mouth full.

Hermione and Winry looked revolted.

"Ugh, swallow and then talk," Winry scowled. "You look like a cave man."

Ed snickered as Ron's ears turned red again. Ron swallowed.

"How can it know if the school's in danger if it's a hat?" Ron asked.

"Maybe because it sits in Professor Dumbledore's office all the time," Al suggested. "It probably just wants everyone to be friends."

"Fat chance," Harry said, looking at the Slytherin table.

"Well, now, you shouldn't take that attitude," Nick reproved. "Peaceful cooperation, that's the key. We ghosts, though we belong to separate Houses, maintain links of friendship. In spite of the competitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I would never dream of seeking an argument with the Bloody Baron."

"Only because you're terrified of him," Ron remarked.

"Why would it only be terror that would keep him from arguing with the Bloody Baron, Ron?" Al asked. "Maybe they _are_ friends."

"I doubt it," Ron said.

Al frowned at Ron as Nearly Headless Nick looked affronted at Ron's remark.

"Terrified?" Nick asked. "I hope I, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, have never been guilty of cowardice in my life! The noble blood that runs in my veins --!"

"What blood?" Ron asked. "Surely you haven't still got --?"

"Ron, SHUT UP!" Winry yelled. "It was a figure of -- Oh, Nick, don't -- !"

But it was too late, Nick had already glided away to the end of the table.

"You jack ass!" Winry snapped at Ron. "You hurt his feelings!"

"How?" Ron asked. "I just asked a question."

Winry scowled.

"Edward has better manners," Winry said.

Ed didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. When all of the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," Dumbledore said. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students -- and a few of our older students ought to know by now too. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have had three changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures; Izumi Curtis will be taking over the Alchemy class, she will be teaching years three to five for now," Izumi waved as people clapped for her and then Dumbledore continued, "we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

The applause was only polite and not much for Umbridge.

"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the --," Dumbledore started.

He stopped talking since Umbridge had cleared her throat and stood. Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a few moments and sat smartly back down and looked alertly at Umbridge as though he had desired nothing but to listen to her talk.

"Can't wait to see what Toad Lady wants to say," Ed remarked.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Can't wait to see what Toad Lady wants to say," Ed remarked.

Before Winry could say anything, Umbridge started her speech.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish.

"Because those will be the only words of welcome," Winry muttered.

"Winry," Ed grinned. "And here I thought that you were going to reprimand me."

Umbridge cleared her throat again and continued.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" Umbridge continued, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me! I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends."

"When Hell freezes over," Al muttered.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared at Al in shock. Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again, and as she continued, she sounded more business-like.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance," Umbridge continued. "The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

She turned and bowed to every staff member, but none of them bowed back. Ed gave an exaggerated yawn that had some of the Gryffindors laughing. Umbridge cleared her throat again.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

Only a few people were really paying attention to Umbridge's speech.

"…because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment," Umbridge continued. "Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

Then, she sat down. Dumbledore clapped, and the other staff members clapped a couple of times.

"Thank God!" Ed said aloud.

That comment made the Gryffindors burst out in laughter. Dumbledore smiled indulgently at Ed as Izumi rolled her eyes.

"I thought you were an atheist?" Hermione asked.

"I'm an agnostic," Ed said.

"Then why did you say that?" Hermione asked.

"Because God wouldn't want people to be bored to death by that woman's speeches," Ed commented.

Hermione scowled as Winry rolled her eyes. As Dumbledore went on with his speech, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ed, Al, and Winry talked about what Umbridge talked about.

"Well, certainly know why she's here," Ed said seriously.

"You understood that?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I've heard plenty of them before," Ed said. "Once you hear one or two, they all start to make sense."

"Then why is she here?" Harry asked.

"So the Ministry can interfere in Hogwarts," Hermione answered before Ed could.

There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the hall.

"Come on, Al, let's go," Ed said. "Come on, Winry."

Then he, Al, and Winry left the Great Hall and went on their way to Gryffindor Tower, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione by themselves. Ed, Al, and Winry got to the Gryffindor Tower a few minutes later and were now standing in front of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked.

"_Mimbulus mimbletonia_," Al said.

"Correct," the Fat Lady said, winking at Ed and Al.

Ed groaned as the Fat Lady swung forward. Ed, Al, and Winry went through the hole and into the common room.

"Well, see you tomorrow, Winry," Ed said.

A moment later, Winry kissed Ed on the cheek and then went to the sixth year girls' dormitory. Ed blushed as Al looked at him, grinning.

"What?" Ed asked.

"Nothing," Al said.

Ed gave Al a look and then shook his head. Then they went to the fifth year boys' dormitory where they saw Dean and Seamus.

"Hey, Ed," Dean said. "Shouldn't you be in the sixth year --?"

"Nah," Ed said, going to his bed as Al went to his. "I was fuckin' held back because I didn't take the O.W.L. exams."

"Weren't you exempt from them?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, well, Fudge made a new law or something," Ed said. "I just don't wanna talk about it."

"Brother is just sour because he doesn't get to be in the same classes as Winry," Al said.

"Shut up!" Ed snapped.

Dean laughed. Seamus, however, wasn't laughing.

"What's wrong with you?" Ed asked.

Seamus looked at Ed.

"Me mam didn't want me coming back to Hogwarts," Seamus said.

"Why not?" Al asked as Harry and Neville just came into the room.

Seamus looked at Ed and then to Harry.

"Oh, I get it," Ed said. "Your mom reads that rag. She thinks that Harry and I lied about Bodel-butt returning."

"Something like that," Seamus said.

"My brother isn't a liar!" Al said.

"Al!" Ed said.

"What really happened in June?" Seamus asked Harry.

"Why don't you read the _Daily Prophet_ like your mother?" Harry retorted. "That'll tell you all you need to know."

"Don't you have a go at my mother!" Seamus snapped.

"I'll have a go at anyone who calls me and Ed liars!" Harry said. "If you've got a problem with me being in the same --."

"STOP IT!" Al said.

Everyone looked at Al.

"Arguing isn't going to change anything," Al said. softly. "Either get along or don't say anything to each other at all."

Then Al got into bed and pulled the curtains shut. The next morning, Seamus dressed at top speed and left the dormitory before Harry had time to put on his socks.

"Does he think he'll turn into a nutter if he stays in a room with me too long?" Harry asked loudly, as the hem of Seamus's robes whipped out of sight.

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Ed said. "I get a lot of flack from people at home too, sometimes."

"That's because you're always destroying buildings at home," Al remarked.

Ed laughed.

"I guess that's true," Ed said. " Come on, Al, let's go get breakfast. I suspect that Winry's waiting."

"All right," Al said.

Then Ed and Al left the dormitory. They went to the common room to see Winry talking with Hermione. Ed and Al went to Winry and Hermione.

"Hey, Winry, Hermione," Ed said. "Anybody talk any shit about me last night or this morning?"

"Yes, but I gave them a piece of my mind," Winry said.

Ed grinned.

"You're not worried about what people think of you?" Hermione asked.

"Nope, I don't care what people think of me," Ed said. "And neither should anyone else."

"Well, not everyone is like you, Edward," Hermione said.

"That's why I'm unique," Ed boasted. "Come on, I'm hungry."

Then Ed left the common room.

"See you at breakfast, Hermione," Al said.

Then he and Winry left after Ed. At the Great Hall, Ed, Al, and Winry found a place and sat down. They piled food onto their plates and started eating. A few moments later, they were joined by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Guess what?" Ron asked Ed.

"What?" Ed asked.

"Angelina made Quidditch captain," Harry said.

"Goody," Ed remarked. "I'll send her something nice."

Winry nudged Ed for being sarcastic.

"That sounds great," Al said. "I wouldn't mind seeing what Quidditch is. It sounds interesting from what I've heard of it. What do you think, Brother?"

"I don't really care for flying on broomsticks," Ed said.

"But you haven't even tried it!" Ron said.

"I don't care," Ed said.

Just then, hundreds of owls came soaring in through the upper windows. They descended all over the Hall, bringing letters and packages to their owners and showering the breakfasters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining hard outside. Sara the owl came to Winry as the _Daily Prophet_ owl went to Hermione. Winry got the letter from Sara, and Sara left.

"What is it, Winry?" Ed asked.

"I think it might be from Granny," Winry said, breaking the seal of the envelope.

Winry took the letter out of the envelope and read it.

"Well?" Ed asked.

"What does Granny have to say?" Al asked.

"She's just saying that Den misses me," Winry said. "She wants to know if I need more material for your arm and leg."

"Well, these are still new," Ed said. "I don't think I'll need anymore right now. Especially since these are for the northern climates like this one."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, folding up her _Daily Prophet_. "England and Scotland can't be more cold than Amestris can get."

"In some places of Amestris, it's hot almost year round," Ed said. "Like with Dublith, the place Teacher lives at."

McGonagall came to him, Al, Winry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She gave schedules to all but Winry.

"Miss Rockbell, you've gotten perfect grades, so what do you want to take?" McGonagall asked Winry.

"Hm," Winry said. "I think I'll take all of them except for History of Magic and Divination."

McGonagall nodded and filled out Winry's schedule and gave it to Winry and moved on down the table.

"You're still taking Care of Magical Creatures?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Winry said. "I like that class. Well," Winry put her letter and envelope into her bag, "see you at lunch, everyone. Don't cause trouble, Edward."

Then Winry left to get to her first class of the day. Fred and George came over.

"_Don't get into trouble, Edward,_" Fred mimicked Winry.

"_I love you, Edward,_" George mimicked Winry as well.

"STOP IT!" Ed said.

Fred and George burst out laughing.

"Don't you have those Skiving Snackboxes sorted yet?" Ron asked.

"Do mine ears deceive me?" Fred asked, he and George sitting by Harry. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

"Look at today!" Ron said grumpily, shoving his schedule under Fred's nose. "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen."

"Fair point, little bro," Fred said, scanning the column. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Hello, there," said a voice, before Ron could say anything.

Everyone looked to see that it was…

"Hi, Teacher," Ed said.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Hello, there," said a voice, before Ron could say anything.

Everyone looked to see that it was…

"Hi, Teacher," Ed said.

Izumi Curtis wasn't like any of the other teachers who had worn the required robes. No, Izumi had on her trademark white trench-like top and black Capri pants. She had her arms crossed.

"Hello, Mrs. Curtis," Hermione said.

"Hello, Miss Granger," Izumi said. "But from now on, you will either have to call me 'Sensei', 'Teacher', or 'Professor Curtis', do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor," Hermione said.

"I expect I will be getting respect when you come to my class and no nonsense about magical substitutions for Alchemy, correct?" Izumi asked.

"What will happen if -- ?" Ron started.

"You don't want to know," Izumi interrupted. "Isn't that right, Edward, Alphonse?"

Ed and Al nodded.

"Well, I'll see everyone later," Izumi said. "Oh, and Fred and George, if I see you selling your 'treats' or testing them on students, I will give you detention and write your mother."

Then Izumi left.

"That woman is scary," Ron said.

Harry, Fred, George, Ed, and Al all nodded in agreement.

"I don't think she's scary," Hermione disagreed.

"Not now," Ed muttered. "But you will."

In History of Magic, the first class of the day, Harry and Ron played Hangman on parchment, Ed snored away, and Al and Hermione took notes. When class was over, Al woke Ed up. Ed stretched and got his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Brother," Al told Ed as they left class, "you should really pay more attention."

"I can't help it if that ghost guy is boring," Ed complained. "Besides, I can just copy off of you."

"Edward," Al sighed.

"You are sixteen, Edward, you should write your own notes," Hermione scolded Ed.

"Tell someone who cares," Ed brushed off.

"Fine, I'll tell Professor Curtis," Hermione said.

"You wouldn't dare," Ed snarled.

"Try me," Hermione said.

Ed stalked off to go wait by the door of Snape's classroom.

"Brother, wait!" Al said.

Then Al ran after Ed.

"That was low, Hermione," Ron said.

"How was it?" Hermione asked.

"I agree, Hermione," Harry agreed with Ron. "We copy off of you, but you don't tell Mrs. Weasley about it."

Hermione pursed her lips and left. In Potions, Ed and Al sat at their own table as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat at their usual table in the back.

"Settle down," Snape said coldly as he came into the classroom and shutting the door behind him.

Quiet had fallen and all fidgeting had stopped.

"Before we begin today's lesson," Snape went on as he swept over to his desk and staring around them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'acceptable' in your O.W.L. or suffer my…displeasure."

His gaze lingered on Ed, who had a bored look on his face, and then on Neville, who gulped.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye. But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell, so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students."

Snape went on to tell what they would be making that day, the Draught of Peace, and what to do and where to find the ingredients.

"You have an hour and a half," said Snape. "Start."

Just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione predicted, Snape could hardly have set them a more difficult potion. The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in counter clockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it was simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.

"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," Snape called, with ten minutes left to go.

Harry, who was sweating profusely, looked desperately around the dungeon. His own cauldron was issuing copious amounts of dark gray steam; Ron's was spitting green sparks. Seamus was furiously prodding the flames at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand, as they had gone out. Ed and Al, however, were not sweating as their potions were emitting the light silver vapor. Snape swept by Ed and Al and did not comment on their potions. Then Snape came to Hermione's and looked down his nose at Hermione's potion that also had the light, silver vapor rising up. Snape said nothing and went to Harry, smirking horribly at Harry's potion.

"Potter, what is this supposed to be?" Snape asked.

The Slytherins at the front of the class all looked up eagerly; they loved hearing Snape taunt Harry.

"The Draught of Peace," Harry said tensely.

"Tell me, Potter," Snape said softly, "can you read?"

Draco Malfoy laughed.

"Yes, I can," Harry said.

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter," Snape instructed.

Harry squinted at the blackboard; it was not easy to make out the instructions through the haze of multicolored steam now filling the dungeon.

"'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore,'" Harry read off, his heart sinking.

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?" Snape asked.

"No," Harry muttered.

"I beg your pardon?" Snape asked.

"No," Harry repeated loudly. "I forgot the hellebore…"

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless," Snape criticized Harry. "_Evanesco._"

The contents of Harry's potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron.

"Those of you who _have_ managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," Snape said. "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Friday."

Ed and Al each filled a flagon with their potions and then took them to the front and put them on the desk. Then they went back to their desk and cleared out their cauldrons. Ed put his wand into his boot as Al put his into his bag. They packed their bags and when the bell rang for class to end, Ed and Al left the classroom. They had met up with Harry and Winry at the Great Hall. The ceiling had turned to an even murkier gray during the morning. Rain was lashing against the high windows.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Al asked.

"Fine," Harry muttered.

"What's wrong?" Winry asked.

"Snake," Ed said. "He vanished Harry's potion without giving him any points."

Just then, Hermione and Ron came to the table and sat down with them.

"That was really unfair," Hermione said consolingly to Harry, as she got some shepherd's pie. "Your potion wasn't nearly as bad as Goyle's, when he put it in his flagon the whole thing shattered and set his robes on fire."

"Hermione, Snake is never fair to Gryffindors, and you know that," Ed pointed out.

"He's got a point, you know," Ron said.

"I did think he might be a bit better this year," Hermione said in a disappointed voice while she looked around. "I mean, you know, now he's in the Order and everything."

Ed burst out in laughter.

"Brother," Al sighed.

"What's so funny, if I may ask?" Hermione asked.

Ed stopped laughing, but he snickered.

"Just because he's in the Order, it doesn't mean he's going to start being happy-go-lucky, Hermione," Ed snickered. "He's too much of a jackass. Snake isn't going to change."

"_Snape!_" Hermione corrected.

"I don't care what your boyfriend is called, Hermione," Ed snickered.

Hermione's face went red with embarrassment.

"He is _NOT_ my boyfriend!" Hermione protested, Ron laughing. "Ron, shut up!"

"Hermione, Edward is only joking," Winry said, flipping her hair. "You need to loosen up."

"Loosen up?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, it means to stop having a stick up your ass," Winry said.

Hermione's jaw dropped in shock. Ron and Harry didn't know what to say as they looked at each other in shock. It seemed as though the agreement to agree to disagree had ended.

"How -- ?!" Hermione started.

Winry stood up, not wanting to hear what Hermione was going to say, and left. Ed and grabbed their bags and went after Winry. Ed and Al caught up with Winry out in the entrance hall.

"You all right, Winry?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Winry said. "I guess I just miss Granny."

"We miss her too, Winry," Al said. "We all haven't seen her in a while."

"She didn't want me coming back," Winry admitted.

"Why?" Ed asked.

"She doesn't want me get involved with the stuff here," Winry said. "That sort of thing. But she let me come back anyway because she knew that she couldn't change my mind."

"It wouldn't have been the same without you, Winry," Ed said.

"Ed, you're just saying that because you need me here to maintain your auto-mail," said Winry.

"That's not true," Ed said, then adding after a look from Winry, "Well, a _bit_ of that is true, but I do want you to be here, Winry. Besides, somebody's got to keep Hermione in check."

Ed grinned at Winry.

"That Umbridge woman is such a…," Winry started.

"You already had her?" Al asked.

"Yes, and she's an awful person," Winry said. "She doesn't even teach anything! She just had us read out of that stupid book! It's so boring!"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ed asked.

"Next time, I will," Winry said. "Alphonse --."

"I know, I know," Al said. "Go away so you and Brother can kiss. I will wait for you at the ladder for class."

"You remember where it is?" Ed asked, since he had shown the way there to Al the day of the final task.

"Yup," Al said. "Have a nice session."

"AL!" Ed said.

Al laughed and went on his way. Ed scowled, but Winry had led Ed to an empty classroom.

"You still look cute in your uniform," Ed complimented.

"Thanks," Winry said. "I know I do."

A moment later, Ed kissed Winry. Winry kissed Ed back as Ed put his left hand on her thigh. After making out for a few minutes, they came up for air.

"We can continue this later," Winry said, her cheeks flushed. "We need to get to class."

"Yeah," Ed said. "Right. See you, Winry."

Then Ed left the class room, Winry leaving a moment after him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Hi! There's a Sailor Moon SuperS reference in here! A cookie to whoever spots it!

**Chapter Nine**

Ed barely made it in time to the North Tower where Divination class took place. He sat down by Harry, Ron, and Al.

"It's hot in here," Ed said, pulling his shirt collar away from his neck.

"It always is," Harry said.

"I know it is," Ed said. "But…"

"But Ed was snogging with Winry," Ron grinned.

"Shut up!" Ed hissed, blushing as Al chuckled.

But before Harry or Ron could say anything, Professor Trelawney emerged from wherever she was.

"Good day," Trelawney said in her usual misty, dreamy voice. "And welcome back to Divination. I have, of course, been following your fortunes most carefully over the holidays, and am delighted to see that you have all returned to Hogwarts safely -- as, of course, I knew you would. You will find on the tables before you copies of _The Dream Oracle_, by Inigo Imago. Dream interpretation is a most important means of divining the future and one that may very probably be tested in your O.W.L. Not, of course, that I believe examination passes or failures are of the remotest importance when it comes to the sacred art of divination. If you have the Seeing Eye, certificates and grades matter very little. However, the headmaster likes you to sit the examination, so…"

Her voice trailed away delicately, leaving them all in no doubt that Professor Trelawney considered her subject above such sordid matters as examinations.

"Turn, please, to the introduction and read what Imago has to say on the matter of dream interpretation," Trelawney continued. "Then divide into pairs. Use _The Dream Oracle_ to interpret each other's most recent dreams. Carry on."

The one good thing to be said for this lesson was that it was not a double period. By the time they had all finished reading the introduction of the book, they had barely ten minutes left for dream interpretation. Ed had obviously paired up with Al and Harry with Ron.

"Brother, why don't you go this time?" Harry overheard Al ask Ed.

"I don't wanna," Ed said. "You go."

"You always have me do the work," Al complained.

"Get over it," Ed said.

"I bet you were having a naughty dream with Winry in it," Al said.

Ed's face turned red.

"AL!" Ed hissed as Al laughed. "That's not funny!"

"But it's true, isn't it?" Al asked.

"Al, you better shut up, or I'll make you shut up," Ed threatened.

Al forced himself to stop laughing as he tried to think of a dream to tell.

"Well, I had a dream once that Pegasus turned into an actual Pegasus horse with wings and a golden horn," Al said.

"Al, that's a unicorn," Ed said.

"Unicorns don't have golden horns or wings," Ron said. "Hagrid and Grubbly-Plank had unicorns last year, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, right," Ed said. "But according to mythology, Pegasus only has wings and not a golden horn."

"Well," Al said, "it looked like one to me, and it was nice."

"Fine," Ed said. "You dreamed that your cat turned into a flying horse. You know, Al, that's a dream you _would_ have."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Al asked, offended.

"Nothing," Ed brushed off. "Don't worry about it."

As homework, Trelawney set them the task of keeping a dream diary for a month.

"D'you realize how much homework we've got already?" Ron complained as he, Harry, Ed, and Al had left the Divination classroom and went on their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "Binns set us a foot-and-a-half-long essay on giant wars, Snape wants a foot on the use of moonstones, and now we've got a month's dream diary from Trelawney! I don't know how you could handle it last year, Ed. I mean, that on top of the tournament."

"Well, I'm not gonna lie and say that it's not a bitch, because it _is_ a bitch," Ed said.

"I hope Umbridge had better not give us any," Ron said.

"Well, Winry said that Umbridge had her class read," Ed said.

"Was that before or after you snogged her?" Ron asked.

"SHUT UP!" Ed yelled.

Ron laughed. When they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, they found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teacher's desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and the black velvet bow on top of her head. The class was quiet as it entered the room; Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew yet how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be.

"Doesn't look much like a frog, does she?" Ed remarked.

Ron and Harry sniggered as Hermione sent them glares.

"Well, good afternoon!" said Umbridge when the whole class finally sat down.

A few people mumbled 'Good Afternoon' in reply. Harry and Ron snickered when Ed added, "Toad woman."

Umbridge sent a glare towards Ed and then said, "Tut, tut. That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," the class chanted back.

"There, now," said Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, now was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

The students put their wands away, Ed and Al didn't since they didn't even take it out in the first place, and got their quills, ink, and parchment out. Then Umbridge got her wand out, a small one, and tapped the board sharply. Words appeared at once:

_Defense Against The Dark Arts_

_A Return to Basic Principles_

Umbridge started to lecture about the constant change of teachers while everyone wrote. When everyone wrote what was on the board, she gave it another tap. New words appeared:

_Course Aims:_

_1.) Understanding the principles_

_underlying defensive magic_

_2.) Learning to recognized situations_

_in which defensive magic can legally be used_

_3.) Placing the use of defensive_

_magic in a context for practical use_

The students wrote some more. After writing, Umbridge had them get out their copies of Wilbert Slinkhard's 'Defensive Magical Theory' and read chapter one. Then Umbridge went to her desk, sat down, and observed everyone with her pouchy toad eyes.

After reading the same sentence half a dozen times, Harry looked to his left and seen Ron absentmindedly turning his quill over and over in his fingers, staring at the same spot on the page. Ed wasn't reading the book and neither was Al. They were both doodling in their books. And when Harry looked to his right, he saw that Hermione wasn't reading the book. He couldn't remember a time when she didn't want to read. Harry looked at her in a questioning way, but she shook her head to indicate that she wasn't going to answer any questions.

Harry looked to the front of the class where Umbridge was looking in another direction. Ed and Al looked at Hermione as well and then at Harry. Harry shrugged his shoulders. A few moments later, everyone was looking at Hermione, who was staring at Umbridge. Umbridge decided that she couldn't ignore Hermione anymore.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" asked Umbridge.

"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Umbridge. "If you have other queries, we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione.

Umbridge raised her eyebrows and said, "And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Umbridge.

"Well, I don't," said Hermione, bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about _using _defensive spells."

There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.

"_Using_ defensive spells?" Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to _use_ a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"Aren't we supposed to _learn_ the spells instead of just reading about them?" Al spoke up.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. --?" Umbridge said.

"Elric," Al said, without raising his hand.

Umbridge, still smiling more widely, turned her back on him. Harry was shocked to hear a small growl emanate from Al. Then Harry and Hermione raised their hands. Umbridge looked at Harry and then at Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Umbridge asked. "You wanted to ask something else?"

"It's as Alphonse said," Hermione said. "The whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells."

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" Umbridge asked in her falsely sweet voice.

"No, but --!" Hermione started.

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is," Umbridge interrupted. "Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way -- ."

Umbridge was cut off by Ed laughing. Umbridge looked at Ed as he laughed.

"What do you find so funny, Mr. Elric?" Umbridge asked.

"You know, Professor Toad Face?" Ed started.

"Umbridge," Umbridge corrected.

"Whatever," Ed brushed off. "What I was going to say is that I wasn't going to say anything, but since you're sounding so STUPID, I just can't help myself."

"Stupid, Mr. Elric?" Umbridge asked.

"Yeah, because everybody knows that _nothing_ is absolutely secure or risk-free," Ed pointed out. "Even in classrooms or at jobs or whatever. There is insecurity and risk everywhere! So, I suggest you either get your head out of your ass or --."

"Mr. Elric, if you keep speaking that way towards me, I shall give you detention," said Umbridge.

"Will you really, or is that just an empty threat?" Ed asked. "I mean, how can I know if you're bein' serious if you say that we're gonna be safe here from attacks? Tell me, Professor Toad Face --."

Umbridge went to her desk and sat down, pulling pink parchment towards her as she did so. She called Ed to her desk as she wrote. Ed went to her desk.

"Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear," Umbridge said, holding out a sealed piece of pink parchment to Ed.

"Fine, Toad Bitch," Ed said.

Then he went to his, Al's, Harry's, Ron's, and Hermione's table and got his bag and book and left to go to McGonagall's office. A few minutes later, Ed was at McGonagall's office and barged in without knocking. McGonagall was looking over the summer homework of her third years when Ed had come in unannounced, making her look at him in shock.

"Mr. Elric, haven't you heard of knocking?" McGonagall asked, irritated.

"Yeah, but knocking is overrated," Ed answered.

"What have you come here for?" McGonagall asked.

Ed went to her desk and lay the pink scroll on top of the papers she was going through. McGonagall picked up the scroll as Ed sat down in the chair in front of her desk and sat the bag down beside his feet. McGonagall unsealed it and read it, her lips becoming thin.

"Elric, you certainly know how to make enemies," McGonagall said.

"I know," Ed commented with a huge exaggerated sigh. "It's a pity, isn't it?"

"Elric, I am not 'joking around'," McGonagall said. "Professor Umbridge has given you a week's worth of detention for disrespecting her in her own classroom."

"She deserved it," Ed said.

"Whether or not she deserved it, Elric, you do not call your teachers names like 'Professor Toad Face'," McGonagall scolded, the edge of her mouth twitching. "You need to respect --."

"I'll only respect those who earn my respect," Ed interrupted. "I'm sure Teacher or Colonel Mustang told you that before."

"Don't forget, Elric," McGonagall warned, "the Ministry is interfering in Hogwarts as you very well may know, and you could be a target. You need to be careful. And that goes for Miss Rockbell and Alphonse."

"Just worry about yourself, Professor," Ed said, standing and grabbing his bag and flinging it over his shoulder. "When do I start my detentions?"

"Tomorrow at five," McGonagall answered. "Her office. Be careful."

"As I said, don't worry about me," Ed reminded, then waving. "Later."

Then Ed left the office.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Dinner in the Great Hall that night was not a pleasant experience for Harry. The news about his shouting match with Umbridge seemed to have traveled exceptionally fast even by Hogwarts' standards. He heard whispers all around him as he sat eating between Ron and Hermione and across from Ed, Al, and Winry. The funny thing was that none of the whisperers seemed to mind him overhearing what they were saying about him, or Ed, -- on the contrary, it was as though they were hoping he would get angry and start shouting again, so that they could hear his story firsthand.

"He says he saw Cedric Diggory murdered and Edward Elric tortured…"

"He reckons he dueled with You-Know-Who…"

"Come off it…"

"Who does he think he's kidding?"

"Pur-_lease_…"

"What I don't get," Harry said through clenched teeth as he lay down his knife and fork, "is why they all believed the story two months ago when Dumbledore told them…"

"I don't think they believed Bumblebore," Ed said. "Let's go back to the common room. We can talk there."

Then they all went on their way to the Gryffindor Tower.

"What do you mean, you don't think they believed Dumbledore?" Harry asked once they reached the first floor landing.

"You don't understand what it was like after it happened," Hermione said quietly before Ed could reply. "You arrived back in the middle of the lawn clutching Cedric's dead body…and Edward was nowhere to be seen. None of us saw what happened in the maze… We just had Dumbledore's word for it that You-Know-Who had come back and killed Cedric and tortured Ed and fought you."

"Which is the truth!" Harry said loudly.

"Harry, stop yelling," Al pleaded. "We know it's true. It's just that before it could sink in, everyone went home and the _Daily Prophet_ spit out stories for two months of how crazy you and Brother were and how Dumbledore is going senile!"

Rain pounded on the window panes as they strode along the empty corridors back to Gryffindor Tower. Ed said the password and they all went into the common room. The common room was almost empty, nearly everyone was still down at dinner. Crookshanks uncoiled himself from an armchair and trotted to meet them. Pegasus came running to Al and Al picked him up. They all sat down in chairs in front of the fireplace, Crookshanks being on Hermione's lap.

"_How_ can Dumbledore have let this happen?" Hermione cried suddenly, startling Crookshanks so that he hissed and leapt off of Hermione's lap. "How can he let that terrible woman teach us? And in our O.W.L. year too?"

"Maybe he didn't have a choice," Al suggested, scratching Pegasus behind the ears. "No one else wants to take the job."

"I just think it's ridiculous," Winry said.

"You're lucky, Winry, you've already got your O.W.L. exams finished," Hermione said to Winry.

"I know, but I still have my N.E.W.T. exams to think about," Winry said.

"Those aren't until next year," Ron said.

"I _know_ that, Ron, but --," Winry started.

"Let's just get to our homework," Al interrupted. "I don't want to hear any arguing."

"All right," Ed said. "Let's get to it. I'm going to see if I can remember my report from last year."

"No, you write a different one," Hermione and Winry said at the same time.

"Why?" Ed asked.

"Because it would be considered as cheating," Winry explained. "And Miss Izumi would probably kill you."

"She's right, Big Brother," Al agreed.

Ed groaned.

"Fine," Ed said.

Then he got parchment, quill, and ink out and then starting writing on the essay a few moments later. Hermione then got up and went to confront Fred, George, and Lee for testing their products on first years.

The next day at five 'til five o' clock p.m., Ed and Harry left the Gryffindor common room and went on their way to Umbridge's office.

"You do know that she's not gonna let you off for Friday, right?" Ed said.

"Yeah, but I might as well ask, right?" Harry said.

"If you say so," Ed said. "Well, we're here."

And without knocking, Ed opened the door to Umbridge's office and instantly grimaced in disgust. The surfaces of Umbridge's office had all been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large Technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. They were so foul that Harry and Ed stared at them, transfixed, until Professor Umbridge spoke.

"You know, Mr. Elric, it's proper manners to knock before entering," Umbridge said.

"I don't believe in knocking," Ed said.

"Well, good evening," Umbridge said.

"Whatever," Ed brushed off.

"Evening," Harry said stiffly.

"Well, sit down," Umbridge said, pointing toward a small table draped in lace beside which she had drawn two straight-backed chairs.

Two pieces of blank parchment lay on the table, apparently waiting for Harry and Ed. Ed sat down as Harry asked Umbridge if he could get Friday off for the Quidditch tryouts since he was Seeker for the Gryffindor team. Of course, Umbridge said no and that he was a naughty, lie-telling, attention-seeking boy. Then Harry angrily sat down.

"There," Umbridge said sweetly, "we're getting better at controlling our temper already, aren't we, Mr. Potter? Now, Mr. Elric, you will write _exactly_ 'I shall not disrespect my teachers'. Mr. Potter, you will write 'I must not tell lies'."

"How many times?" Harry asked, with a creditable imitation of politeness.

"Oh, as long as it takes for the message to _sink_ _in_," Umbridge said sweetly. "Off you go."

Umbridge moved over to her desk, sat down, and bent over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking. Ed looked at the pointy, black quill that had a sharp point and then looked at Umbridge.

"Where's the ink?" Ed asked.

"Oh, you won't need ink," Umbridge said with the merest suggestion of a laugh in her voice.

As Harry wrote _I must not tell lies_, Ed wrote _I shall not disrespect my teachers._ Once they had both written a line down of what they were supposed to. Ed swore under his breath as he felt a pain in his hand. He looked at the parchment and saw red ink and then looked at the back of his left hand. He was shocked to see the words had appeared as though it had been carved in with a scalpel. As Ed stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over again, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth. Ed and Harry looked at Umbridge. She was watching them, her wide, toad-like mouth stretched in a smile.

"Yes?" Umbridge asked.

"Nothing," Ed and Harry said.

As they both wrote, their hands were cut open and healed over time and time again. Darkness fell outside Umbridge's window. Neither Harry nor Ed asked when they were to be able to stop. After what seemed hours, Umbridge finally spoke up.

"Come here," Umbridge said.

Ed and Harry stood. Their hands were stinging painfully. When they looked down, they saw that the cut had healed, but that the skin there was red raw.

"Hand," Umbridge said.

Harry showed her and she let him go a moment later. She then grabbed Ed's hand and looked at it.

"Tut, tut," Umbridge said, smiling, "I don't seem to have made much of an impression yet. Well, we'll just have to try again tomorrow evening, won't we? You may go."

Ed didn't say anything as he snatched his hand away and left. He had seen that Harry had already left back to Gryffindor Tower. Ed then went back to Gryffindor Tower. When he got there, he saw that Harry was climbing the stairs to the fifth year boys' dormitory. Ed was about to follow Harry when he had seen someone sleeping at one of the tables by a window. Ed went over to see that it was Al. Ed gently shook Al awake. Al opened his eyes and looked at Ed.

"Brother?" Al asked, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"A bit past midnight," Ed answered.

"Oh," Al said.

"Were you waiting for me to get back?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, and I was finishing my homework," Al replied.

"You idiot," Ed said. "You didn't have to get all done at once, you know."

"I know, but I _wanted_ to get it all done," Al said.

"Idiot," Ed said.

"I'm not an idiot," Al whined.

"You are too, so stop whining," Ed said.

"Okay," Al said.

Al got up out of his seat.

"How was detention?" Al asked. "Was she horrible?"

Ed didn't say anything for a moment and then…

"It was fine," Ed lied. "We only had to write lines."

Al sighed, knowing Ed wasn't being completely truthful.

"Come on, Al, we'll be dead on our feet if we don't get some sleep," Ed said.

"All right," Al said.

Then they went up to the fifth year boys' dormitory. The next morning, Winry asked Ed at breakfast of how the detention went since Harry and Ron both skipped breakfast. Winry and Hermione looked at Ed expectantly.

"Oh, it was all right," Ed lied. "Kinda boring, actually."

"What did she make you do?" Hermione asked.

"Lines," Ed said.

"That's not so bad," Hermione said.

Winry looked skeptically at Ed.

"What?" Ed asked.

"So, she kept you all night just so you could write lines?" Winry asked.

"She's a merciless old, toad bitch," Ed said. "It's all right."

"At least it's nothing terrible, Winry," Hermione said.

"Hm," Winry said, pursing her lips.

"Winry, it's okay, all right?" Ed said. "Don't worry about it."

Winry sighed.

"If you say so," Winry sighed. "Just…"

"Just what?" Ed asked.

"Nothing," Winry said.

The second night of detention was just as bad as the first one. The skin on Ed's and Harry's hands became irritated more quickly now; red and inflamed, Ed thought it unlikely to keep healing as effectively for long. After a few hours the next night, Thursday night, the words "_I must not disrespect my teachers_" did not fade from the back of Ed's hand, but remained scratched there, oozing droplets of blood. The pause in the pointed quills' scratching made Professor Umbridge look up.

"Ah," Umbridge said softly, moving around her desk to examine Ed's and Harry's hands herself. "Good. That ought to serve as a reminder to you, oughtn't it? You may leave for tonight."

"Gladly," Ed said, leaving at once.

A few minutes later, Ed arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady. Ed said the password and went through the portrait hole and into the common room where Al was waiting for him on one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace with Pegasus on his lap.

"Brother," Al said. "You're back!"

"Yeah, I sure am," Ed said.

He sat on an armchair by Al's and ran his left hand over his hair. It was then that Al grabbed Ed's forearm and brought it close to his eyes.

"Brother!" Al said, then letting Ed's arm go. "You said that she was only making you write lines!"

"Well, yeah, but I left out the part about her having us use skin carving quills to write with," Ed said.

"Why?" Al asked. "Why didn't you tell -- ?"

"I didn't tell you because I knew that you would overreact," Ed said.

"How am I supposed to react when that bitch of a teacher has you slicing your own hand open?!" Al said. "I mean, you're my brother, Ed! How do you expect me to act?"

"Sorry, Al," Ed said. "I just didn't want you to worry about it."

"Well, Winry, should know," Al said.

"If we tell Winry, she'll land herself in detention as well," Ed said. "And I don't want that. And I also don't want you to be getting yourself in detention either, Al. I don't want you to have your hand --."

"But you need to tell someone!" Al said. "You should tell either Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore or Teacher!"

"Al, it'll be fine," Ed said.

"I forbid you from going to the last detention!" Al demanded as Ed stood to go to the fifth year boys' dormitory.

"Al, who's the older brother?" Ed asked.

"I don't care if you're the oldest or not!" Al said. "I don't want you going! Get a detention from someone else to take place of that toad's!"

"You know, Al, that's not a bad idea," Ed said.

**Author's Note:** I hope you liked these chapters! Who else would you like to see teaching the Alchemy class besides Izumi? Give me your answers in your review or send me a PM. Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the reviews and suggestions! I'm still taking suggestions on the extra Alchemy professor until Chapter Twenty, so you still have some time. I'm a bit disappointed that no one saw the Sailor Moon SuperS reference. You have another chance at spotting it in this chapter. If you spot it, you get a cookie! Anyway, I hope you like these chapters!

**Chapter Eleven**

Friday dawned sullen and sodden as the rest of the week. The first class of the day was Alchemy, which, of course, was taught by Izumi.

"Put all of your wands away," Izumi said, as she walked towards her desk at the front of the desk. "You do not need them as I said the other day."

She got to her desk and stood behind it.

"Did everyone finish the essay I have assigned for you?" Izumi asked. "If so, and you have better, then come up here and deposit them onto my desk."

The students all got up and went to Izumi's desk with their essays. They lay them on the desk and went back to their seats.

"All right, then," Izumi said, crossing her arms, "today, we will starting from the basics. Mr. Potter, come up and get these papers and hand them out to everyone."

Hermione shoved Harry, and Harry went up to Izumi's desk. Harry reached out his right hand and went to take the papers from Izumi when Izumi suddenly grabbed his wrist. She looked at the back of Harry's hand for a moment and then let his wrist go, Harry feeling nervous. Izumi gave him the papers.

"Go on, now," Izumi said.

Harry passed out the papers and then sat down with one for himself.

"Does anybody know what it is on your paper?" Izumi asked, then adding while looking at Ed and Al. "Edward, Alphonse, do not answer. Miss Granger?"

Hermione, who was frantically waving her hand in the air, put her hand down.

"It's the Muggle Periodic Table," Hermione answered. "It is a table of the chemical elements arranged according to their atomic numbers. Muggle chemists and scientists use it on a daily basis, as do any of the remaining alchemists."

"Correct," Izumi smiled. "Ten points for Gryffindor."

Hermione beamed.

"I want every one of you to study this table," Izumi said.

"Why?" Draco Malfoy asked. "What point does it serve?"

"What point does it serve?" Izumi asked. "An alchemist has to know every chemical, metal, and every other substance in order to transmute --."

"But why bother when you can get whatever you can get with magic?" Draco asked.

"You can't get everything with magic," Izumi said. "In plus, you won't always have your wand with you. You might get disarmed."

"Only Mudbloods and losers get disarmed," Draco scoffed, as the Slytherins around him laughed.

"Really?" Izumi asked. "Mudbloods and losers?"

Izumi went towards Draco.

"Shouldn't you warn her?" Ron asked Ed in a whisper.

"Nah, she'll be fine," Ed brushed off. "It's Mal-fart you've got to be concerned for."

And in a flash, Draco was on the floor with Izumi's foot on his chest and his wand in her hand as the Gryffindors cheered.

"It's your cockiness that gets you, Mr. Malfoy," Izumi said, then turning to the Gryffindors. "BE QUIET!"

The Gryffindors stopped cheering. Izumi turned back to Draco.

"You should never, _ever_ truly rely on magic," Izumi instructed. "It can turn its back on you as some people do."

She took her foot off of Draco's chest and let him get up.

"Get to your seat," Izumi said.

"I don't think so," Draco said. "My father will be hearing about this."

Then Draco grabbed his wand from Izumi, grabbed his bag, and then left.

"If anybody else doesn't want to stick around, then leave," Izumi warned. "But know this: if you do, I will report you to your heads of house and Professor Dumbledore."

Nobody else said or did anything.

"Now…," Izumi continued. "Let's move on…"

At the end of class, Izumi excused everyone except for Harry and Ed. She had them come to her desk.

"You two have detention with Umbridge, right?" Izumi cut to the chase.

"Yeah," Ed and Harry answered.

"Tell me, what kind of punishment did she give to you?" Izumi said.

"She's making us write lines for 'er," Ed said. "With these quills that use our blood as ink."

"How barbaric," Izumi said. "Let me see you hand, Edward."

Ed let Izumi see the back of his left hand.

"'I must not disrespect my teachers'," Izumi read. "What did you do, Edward?"

"I just called her by her name, that's all," Ed said.

"He called her Professor Toad Face and stupid," Harry said.

Izumi frowned. She should have known.

"I will talk to Professor Umbridge," Izumi said. "Just be careful, all right? Now, go to class. And don't get anymore detentions."

Ed shrugged and left. Harry left a moment later. Tried as he might, Ed couldn't get detention from another teacher. So, at five o'clock, he went to Umbridge's office with Harry. After only two hours of detention with Umbridge, Ed threw down the quill and left, ignoring Umbridge telling him not to leave and to come back. Ed went to Gryffindor Tower and to the common room. Al, Winry, and Hermione were all shocked to see Ed coming in. Ed went to the table where Al, Winry, and Hermione were.

"Edward!" Winry said. "Your hand!"

"You need to go to the hospital wing!" Hermione said.

"If I did, then Pomfrey would tell McGonagall or Bumblebore and they would confront Toad face," Ed said. "And if I'm right, then that could mean trouble."

"Here," Winry said. "Give me your hand."

Ed gave Winry his hand as Winry had taken out a handkerchief. Winry wrapped the handkerchief around Ed's hand to try and stop the bleeding.

"Is Harry coming?" Al asked.

"No, not yet," Ed answered. "I couldn't stand being there, so I split."

"You could get into trouble," Hermione said.

"I don't care!" Ed snapped. "I didn't want to let that bitch continue to -- !"

"I didn't say that what you did was wrong, Edward," Hermione interrupted.

Ed didn't say anything as he sat down next to Winry since Al was by Hermione.

"Where's Ron?" Ed asked.

"He's trying out for the Quidditch team," Al answered. "He's trying for Keeper, whatever that is."

"It's like a goal-keeper in Muggle football," Hermione explained.

"Oh," Al said. "I'm glad you got away, Brother."

Ed didn't say anything as he looked at the back of his left hand that was covered with Winry's handkerchief. The blood had soaked through. A few minutes later, his hand stopped bleeding. He took off the handkerchief and cleaned it with a flick of his wand. Ed gave the handkerchief back to Winry.

"Thanks, Winry," Ed said.

"Don't mention it," Winry said.

"I'm goin' up to bed," Ed said. "I'm beat."

"Night, Brother," Al said.

"Night, Ed," Winry said.

"Night," Ed said, waving as he went up to the fifth year boys' dormitory.

"What?" Winry asked, a few moments later.

"Nothing," Hermione answered, smirking.

Winry rose an eyebrow. Al chuckled. He knew what Hermione was smiling about.

Pegasus jumped up onto Al's lap, and Al scratched behind Pegasus's ears.

"Are there any shape-shifting animals besides being a were-wolf?" Al asked.

Hermione and Winry looked at Al.

"Why?" Winry asked.

"I just had a dream a few nights ago about Pegasus turning into a real Pegasus with a golden horn," Al said.

Hermione looked at Pegasus.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "Pegasus looks to be half-kneazle, but other than that, I don't think he could."

"I know," Al said. "I was just wondering."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Al," Winry said. "It just proves that you still have an imagination."

"What does that supposed to mean?" Al asked.

"I'm just teasing, Al," Winry laughed.

Al frowned.

"Come on, lighten up," Winry said. "Let's get to work on the homework."

"Okay," Al said.

The next morning at breakfast, Ed, Al, Winry, Hermione, and Ron were talking about various things when Harry came bounding into the Great Hall, joining them at the Gryffindor table.

"Someone sure is happy," Ed commented.

"Quidditch later," Harry said happily, pulling a large platter of bacon and eggs toward him.

"You sure it's not because you just got lucky with Cho Chang?" Ed asked, grinning.

Harry blushed.

"Don't be stupid," Harry said. "That's not it."

"If you say so," Ed said. "Oh, there are the owls."

Owl and Sara came to their respective owners and held their legs out. Ed got the letter off of Owl's leg while Winry got the letter off of Sara's leg. Both owls flew off as the _Daily Prophet _owl came to Hermione and then flew off after being paid. Ed opened his letter and read it. It was from Mustang.

"Blah, blah, blah, blah," Ed said, folding up the letter a moment later.

"What did it say?" Al asked.

"Oh, Colonel Stupid just wants me to check in from time to time," Ed answered.

"But I thought you were --?" Hermione asked.

"I am, but the military just wants to know if I'm still alive and kickin'," Ed brushed off. "I will owl back later when I feel like it."

"You should send an owl back now," Hermione said.

"What are you, my boss?" Ed remarked. "I didn't think so."

Hermione pursed her lips. Then she went to read the _Daily Prophet_. Ed looked at Winry as Al spoke up.

"What did you get, Winry?" Al asked.

"It's from Granny," Winry answered. "She just said that whenever I need to make Ed more auto-mail just to owl her so she can send me the things I need."

"Well, that's good," Ed said.

Just then, Hermione gasped and read out the article about Sirius being spotted in London. There was also an article about Sturgis Podmore getting arrested for trying to get through a door and being sentenced to six months in Azkaban. After discussing the possibilities of how Sturgis was possibly being framed (Ed bursting out in laughing when Ron suggested that Sturgis was lured to the door), Harry and Ron went down to the Quidditch field to practice. Ed, Al, Winry, and Hermione, however, went back to the Gryffindor common room to do their homework.

Al wanted to watch the Gryffindor practice session after lunch, but he had so much work to do that he couldn't.

"I didn't know that there would be so much homework," Al said, after lunch.

"Well, it's O.W.L. year, so of course there'll be a lot of homework," Hermione said. "But you'll be able to finish it in time unlike some other people."

"You mean Harry and Ron," Ed stated.

Hermione didn't say anything.

"Don't worry, they'll be able to finish it, Hermione," Al reassured.

**Author's Note #2:** Did you spot the reference? I hope so! Review!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Sunday evening, Ron had received an owl from Percy saying that he wanted Ron to stay away from Ed and Harry. It was past midnight and Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Al were the only ones in the common room.

"Well," Harry said, after reading the letter and trying to sound as though he found the whole thing a joke, "if you want to -- er -- what is it? Oh yeah -- 'sever ties' with me, I swear I won't get violent. I don't know about Ed though. He might use Alchemy against you."

"Give it back," Ron said, holding out his hand. "He is --," Ron said jerkily as he tore the letter in half, "the world's" -- he tore it into quarters -- "biggest" -- he tore it into eighths -- "_git_."

He threw the pieces into the fire.

"Don't worry, Ron, he'll come around," Al assured.

"When Snape washes his hair," Ron remarked.

Then as Hermione started to help with his and Harry's Astrology homework, Ed and Winry came into the common room.

"Where were you two?" Hermione demanded, looking up.

Ed and Winry blushed.

"Winry was just checking my auto-mail," Ed said.

"At midnight?" Hermione asked skeptically. "And your hair is wet."

"It's none of your business of what we do!" Winry snapped. "And Alphonse, what are you doing up?"

"I'm not a child," Al said. "So stop treating me like one."

"Sorry, Al," Winry apologized.

"That's okay, Winry," Al said.

"Sirius!" Harry said.

Harry was in front of the fireplace. Everyone went to the fireplace to see that it was, indeed, Sirius's head in the fireplace.

"I was starting to think you'd go to bed before everyone else had disappeared," Sirius said. "I've been checking every hour."

"You've been popping into the fire every hour?" Harry half-laughed.

"Just for a few seconds to check if the coast was clear yet," Sirius said.

"But what if you had been seen?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Well, I think a girl -- first year by the looks of her -- might've got a glimpse of me earlier, but don't worry," Sirius said. "I was gone the moment she looked back at me and I'll bet she just thought I was an oddly shaped log or something."

"But Sirius, this is taking an awful risk -- !" Hermione began.

"Oh, don't worry so much," Winry snapped.

"Yeah, the best discoveries come from people who take risks," Ed said.

"That's the spirit," Sirius said. "Besides, Hermione, you sound like Molly. This was the only way I could come up with of answering Harry's letter without resorting to a code -- and codes are breakable."

Ed, Al, Winry, Ron, and Hermione looked at Harry.

"You didn't say you'd written to Sirius!" Hermione accused.

"I forgot," Harry admitted.

"What are you, Hermione, his wife?" Ed asked.

Hermione blushed in outrage.

"Ed's right, Hermione," Harry said. "Besides, there was no way anyone would have got secret information out of it, was there, Sirius?"

"No, it was very good," Sirius smiled. "Anyway, we'd better be quick, just in case we're disturbed -- your scar."

"What about -- ?" Ron began.

"We'll tell you afterward," Hermione interrupted. "Go on, Sirius."

"Well, I know it can't be fun when it hurts, but we don't think it's anything to worry about. It kept aching all last year, didn't it?" Sirius said.

"Yeah, and Dumbledore said it happened whenever Voldemort was feeling a powerful emotion," Harry said, ignoring Ron and Hermione's winces. "So maybe he was just, I dunno, really angry or something the night Ed and I had detention."

"Or maybe he just found out that red eyes aren't in," Ed remarked.

Hermione and Winry glared at him as Al rolled his eyes and Harry, Ron, and Sirius grinned.

"It was a joke!" Ed said. "Yeesh."

"Well, now that Voldemort is back," Sirius said, grinning at Ed's joke, "it's bound to hurt more often."

"So, you don't think it had anything to do with Umbridge touching me when I was in detention with her?" Harry asked.

"You do know how that sounds, don't you?" Ed asked, then shouting after Winry hit him on the head with a wrench, "Damn it, Winry! Did you have to do that?!"

"I doubt it, Harry," Sirius said. "I know her by reputation, and I'm sure she's no Death Eater."

"She's foul enough to be one," Harry vented.

"Yeah, she's a bitch, but the world isn't black and white, Harry," Al said. "There aren't just two types of people."

"Alphonse is right," Sirius agreed. "The world isn't split between good people and Death Eaters, though -- you should hear Remus talk about her."

"Does Lupin know her?" Harry asked.

"No," Sirius said, "but she drafted a bit of anti-werewolf legislation two years ago that makes it almost impossible for him to get a job."

"Poor guy," Winry said.

"What's she's got against werewolves?" Hermione asked angrily.

"They're half-breeds," Ed spoke up. "She doesn't like any half-breeds. She tried to pass a law on trying to round up mer-people and have them tagged."

"How did you know that?" Sirius asked.

"I read it somewhere," Ed said.

"So, what are Umbridge's lessons like?" Sirius asked. "Is she training you all to kill half-breeds?"

"No, she's not letting us use magic at all," Harry said.

"All we do is read from the boring as hell book," Ed complained.

"Ah, well, that figures," Sirius said. "Our information from inside the Ministry is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat."

"_Trained in combat?!_" Harry asked, incredulously. "What does he think we're doing here, forming some sort of wizard army?"

"That's exactly what he thinks you're doing," Sirius said, "or rather, that's exactly what he's afraid Dumbledore's doing -- forming his own private army, with which he will be able to take on the Ministry of Magic with Amestris's help."

At this, Ed burst out laughing.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Ron commented, "including all the stuff that Luna Lovegood comes out with."

"So, we're being prevented from learning Defense Against the Dark Arts because Fudge is afraid that we'll use spells against the Ministry?" Hermione raged. "Edward, shut up!"

Ed stopped laughing, but he continued to snicker.

"Yep," Sirius confirmed. "Fudge thinks Dumbledore will stop at nothing to seize power. He's getting more paranoid about Dumbledore by the day. It's a matter of time before he has Dumbledore arrested on some trumped up charge."

"No matter where you go, the government is still the same," Ed scowled, stopping his snickering.

"Sirius, d'you know if there's going to be anything about Dumbledore in the _Daily Prophet_ tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Sirius answered. "I haven't seen anyone from the Order all weekend, they're all busy. It's just been Kreacher and me here…"

There was a note of bitterness in his voice.

"Have you heard anything about Hagrid?" Winry asked.

"Ah…," Sirius said, "well, he was supposed to have been back by now, no one's sure what's happened to him. But Dumbledore's not worried, so don't get yourselves in a state; I'm sure he's fine."

"But if he was supposed to be back by now…," Hermione worried.

"Madame Maxime was with him, we've been in touch with her and she says they got separated on the journey home, but there's nothing to suggest he's hurt or --," Sirius started.

"Dead?" Ed completed.

"No, he's not dead," Sirius said. "Just don't go asking too many questions about Hagrid. It'll just draw more attention to the fact that he's not back, and I know Dumbledore doesn't want that. Hagrid is tough, he'll be okay. How is your alchemy class?"

"Teacher's crazy as usual," Ed said.

"She's not crazy," Al said. "She's just…"

"Awesome," Ron said. "She beat Malfoy up for comparing magic with alchemy! She is kinda scary though."

A few minutes later, Sirius's head disappeared from the fireplace.

"Well, you sure didn't offend him," Ed remarked.

"He needs to stay where he is so he will be safe!" Hermione defended.

"Whatever," Ed said. "Come on, Al, let's go to bed."

The next morning, Ed spit out his pumpkin juice as he saw the headline of Hermione's _Daily Prophet_ and the picture of Umbridge that was under it.

**MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM**

**DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER "HIGH INQUISITOR"**

"Let me see that," Ed said, grabbing it from Hermione.

Ed started to read it to himself.

_In a surprise move last night, the Ministry of Magic _

_Passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented_

_Level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and_

_Wizardry. _

"_The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on_

_At Hogwarts for some time," said Junior Assistant to the_

_Minister, Percy Weasley. "He is now responding to _

_Concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school_

_May be moving in a direction they do not approve."_

_This is not the first time in recent weeks Fudge had used_

_New laws to effect improvements at the Wizarding school._

_As recently as August 30__th__ Educational Decree Twenty-Two_

_Was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current head-_

_Master being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching_

_Post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person._

"_That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to _

_The Teaching staff at Hogwarts," Weasley said last _

_night. "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, so the Minister_

_Put in Umbridge and of course, she's been an immediate_

_Success, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defense _

_Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-_

_Ground feedback about what's really going on at Hogwarts."_

_It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalized_

_With the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-three, which_

_Creates the new position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor._

"_This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to _

_Grips with what some are calling the "falling standards" at_

_Hogwarts," Weasley said. "The Inquisitor will have powers to_

_Inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming_

_Up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position_

_In addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say _

_That she has accepted."_

'_Of course,'_ Ed thought to himself.

_The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support_

_From parents of students at Hogwarts._

"_I feel much easier in my mind now that I know that Dumbledore_

_Is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation," said Mr._

_Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last_

_Night. "Many of us with our children's best interests at heart_

_Have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric _

_Decisions in the last few years and will be glad to know that the_

_Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation."_

_Among those 'eccentric decisions' are undoubtedly the _

_Controversial staff appointments previously described in_

_This newspaper, which have included the hiring of werewolf_

_Remus Lupin, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid, and delusional_

_Ex-Auror 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Now, there is a new Alchemy_

_Teacher by the name of Izumi Curtis. Not much is known _

_About her except that she is from Amestris. Not to mention the _

_Addition Of Major Edward Elric of Amestris to the student _

_Population And his girlfriend and 'Auto-Mail' mechanic _

_Winry Rockbell._

_Rumors abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once_

_Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of_

_Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer_

_Up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts._

"_I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step toward _

_Ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all _

_Repose confidence," said a Ministry insider._

_Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden_

_Have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of _

_Inquisitor to Hogwarts. _

"_Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's _

_office," said Madam Marchbanks. "This is a further disgusting _

_Attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore." (For a full account of_

_Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups,_

_Turn to page 17.)_

"Should've known," Ed said, folding up the newspaper and tossing it to Hermione. "I'm not hungry anymore."

Then Ed left. Al and Winry left after him as Hermione read the article to Harry and Ron.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

In History of Magic, Al and Hermione wrote notes in History of Magic while Harry, Ron, and Ed stared off into space. And in Potions, Ed and Al each got an 'E' on their moonstone essays. And after lunch was Divination for Ed, Al, Harry, and Ron. As soon as the group sat down, they saw Professor Umbridge emerging through the trapdoor in the floor. The class, which had been talking cheerily, fell silent at once. The abrupt fall in the noise made Professor Trelawney, who had been wafting about handing out _Dream Oracle_, look round.

"Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney," Umbridge said with her wide smile. "You received my note, I trust? Giving the time and date of your inspection?"

Trelawney nodded curtly and, looking very disgruntled, turned her back on Umbridge and continued to give out books. Still smiling, Professor Umbridge grasped the back of the nearest armchair and pulled it to the front of the class so that it was a few inches behind Trelawney's seat. She then sat down, took her clipboard from her flowery bag, and looked up expectantly, waiting for the class to begin.

Professor Trelawney pulled her shawls tight about her with slightly trembling hands and surveyed the class through her hugely magnified lenses.

"We shall be continuing our study of prophetic dreams today," Trelawney said in a brave attempt at her usual mystic tones, though her voice shook slightly. "Divide into pairs, please, and interpret each other's nighttime visions with the aid of the _Oracle_."

She made as though to sweep back to her seat, saw Umbridge sitting right beside it, and immediately veered left toward Parvati and Lavender, who were already deep in discussion about Parvati's most recent dream. As Ed and Al opened their books, Ed watched as Umbridge rose from her seat after writing notes and began to pace the room in Trelawney's wake, listening to her conversations with students and posing questions here and there.

"Okay, Al, tell me what you dreamed about," Ed said. "You know, just in case Toad Face comes over here."

"But I did it last time!" Al protested. "You say one this time!"

"Fine," Ed scowled. "I dreamt that I beat the shit out of Mustang."

Al rolled his eyes as he looked through the book.

"We've got to add your age to the date you had the dream, the number of letters in the subject…," Al said.

"My dear," Trelawney said to Ed, "why so violent?"

"He pisses me off," Ed said. "Him and the Fuhrer, but I can't beat up the Fuhrer so Mustang is the best choice."

Before Trelawney could say anything, Umbridge spoke up.

"Now," Umbridge said, looking up at Trelawney, "you've been in this post how long, exactly?"

Trelawney scowled at Umbridge, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as though wishing to protect herself as much as possible from the indignity of the inspection. After a slight pause in which she seemed to decide that the question was not so offensive that she could reasonably ignore it, she answered.

"Nearly sixteen years," Trelawney answered.

"Quite a period," Umbridge said, making a note on her clipboard. "So it was Professor Dumbledore who appointed you?"

"That's right," Trelawney said shortly.

Umbridge made another note.

"And you are a great-great-granddaughter of the greatly celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney?" asked Umbridge.

"Yes," Trelawney said, holding her head a little higher.

Another note on the clipboard.

"But I think -- correct me if I am mistaken -- that you are the first in your family since Cassandra to be possessed of second sight?" Umbridge asked.

"These things often skip -- er -- three generations," Trelawney said.

"Of course," Umbridge said sweetly, smiling widely while taking down more notes.

"That's been known to happen, you know," Ed said.

Trelawney gave Ed a small smile.

"Of course, dear," Umbridge said, trying to pat Ed's head.

"Don't touch me or I'll transmute your cutesy kitten plates into dust," Ed said.

Umbridge turned to Trelawney, choosing to ignore Ed's threat.

"Could you just predict something for me then?" Umbridge asked.

Trelawney stiffened.

"I don't understand you," Trelawney said.

"I'd like you to make a prediction for me," Umbridge said very clearly.

Everyone in the classroom was watching.

"The Inner Eye does not See upon command!" Trelawney said in a scandalized tone.

"I see," Umbridge said softly, making another note on her clipboard.

"You don't have to be so mean!" Al spoke up.

"I am not being 'mean', Mr. Elric," Umbridge said, softly. "I am just doing my job."

After Divination, Ed and Al were the first to leave.

"You've got to calm down, Al," Ed told Al as they went on their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"I'm sorry, Brother, but…," Al started.

"I know, Al," Ed said. "I just don't want you to get detention with that bitch. We have waited too long to get your body back, I don't want you to have words carved into your hand like mine."

Al nodded.

"But you have to promise not to get any detentions from her either, Brother," Al said.

Ed sighed.

"I'll try my best, Al," Ed said. "Let's get to class."

As promised, Ed kept his cool during Defense Against the Dark Arts unlike Harry who had gotten another week's worth of detention. The next morning, Angelina Johnson had griped out Harry and ten points was taken from Gryffindor. When Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ed, and Al had gotten to Transfiguration after Charms, they had seen that Umbridge was sitting in a corner with her clipboard.

"Excellent," Ron whispered, as the group sat at a table. "Let's see Umbridge get what she deserves."

Professor McGonagall marched into the room without giving the slightest indication that she knew Umbridge was there.

"That will do," McGonagall said, and silence fell immediately. "Mr. Finnigan, kindly come here and hand back the homework -- Miss Brown, please take this box of mice -- don't be silly, girl, they won't hurt you -- and hand one to each student --."

Umbridge cleared her throat but McGonagall ignored her. Ed and Al got their essays back and grinned at each other once they saw that they both got an 'O' grade.

"Right, then," McGonagall said, "everyone, listen closely -- Dean Thomas, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention -- most of you have now successfully vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have the gist of the spell. Today we shall be --."

Umbridge cleared her throat again.

"_Yes?_" McGonagall asked, turning around, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, severe line.

"I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec--," Umbridge started.

"Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom," McGonagall said, turning her back firmly on Umbridge . "As I was saying, today we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell --"

"_Hem, hem,_" Umbridge cleared her throat.

"I wonder," McGonagall said coldly as she turned to Umbridge, "how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking."

Umbridge looked as if she had been slapped and started scribbling furiously onto her clipboard as McGonagall continued to talk.

"As I was saying, the Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be vanished," McGonagall said. "The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal, offers a much greater one. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So -- you know the incantation, let me see what you can do…"

At a bit past midnight, Harry came back to the common room where Hermione and Ron were waiting up for him with essence of murtlap tentacles. Crookshanks jumped onto Harry's lap. A few moments later, Hermione brought up the idea of Harry teaching her and Ron and other people Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Get Ed to do it," Harry said.

"I've already talked to him about it," Hermione said. "He doesn't want to do it, neither do Alphonse or Winry."

"Why not?" Harry asked. "Ed is just as good as any of us."

"He knows, but…," Hermione started.

"But what?" Harry asked.

"He said he doesn't want to teach 'a bunch of whiners how to defend themselves when they should learn how to themselves'," Hermione said.

"What did Al say?" Harry asked.

"He said he wants to concentrate on his homework," Hermione said. "And Winry said that she has more important things to think about, like Edward's auto-mail maintenance. And she sort of yelled at me when I told her that there are more important things than auto-mail."

"More like screamed," Ron muttered.

Hermione glared at Ron. Hermione and Ron continued to try to talk Harry into teaching people Defense Against the Dark Arts until Harry yelled at them. Afterwards, they went to bed one after the other.

Izumi wasn't evaluated until when Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ed, and Al had her on that Friday.

"All right," Izumi said, looking at her class with her hands on her hips. "Have you all gotten the concept of the Muggle Periodic Table? Edward, get your feet off the table!"

Ed, whose feet were on the table, sighed and put his feet onto the floor. Al smiled. Then Umbridge cleared her throat. Izumi looked at Umbridge who was standing at the back of the class.

"Yes, Professor Umbridge?" Izumi asked.

"Did you get my note telling you the time of your inspection?" Umbridge asked.

"Of course I did," Izumi said. "Or else I would have thrown you out."

Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard.

"She _is_ being hypothetical, isn't she?" Hermione whispered to Ed and Al.

"No, she actually means it," Al whispered.

"STOP TALKING!" Izumi snapped at Hermione and Al.

Hermione and Al winced.

"Now, today, we will start going over the different kinds of Alchemy," Izumi said. "By different kinds, I mean --."

"_Hem, hem_," Umbridge said.

Izumi closed her eyes and then opened them again.

"WHAT?!" Izumi asked.

"Are you a certified teacher?" Umbridge asked.

"OF COURSE I AM! I have taught Edward and Alphonse when they were just children," Izumi said. "And Edward was chosen to be a State Alchemist because of his skill. Fuhrer Bradley wanted me to be a State Alchemist, but I've always declined."

"I see," Umbridge said, taking notes.

"By different kinds," Izumi continued, "I mean by different cultures. Where Edward, Alphonse, Winry, and I are from, there is more than just one type of Alchemy. For Xing --."

"Where is Xing?" Umbridge asked. "And what is it like?"

"Xing is a country to the east," Izumi explained. "It is like 'Asia', 'China' to be more specific. Now, SHUT UP!"

Umbridge scribbled violently on her clipboard.

"Has Professor Dumbledore explained to you that you need to wear --?" Umbridge started.

"WHAT I WEAR IS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN!" Izumi bellowed. "YOU EITHER SHUT UP OR GET OUT OF MY CLASS!"

Umbridge turned red in anger and wrote so fast that Harry thought that her hand would fall off.

"In Amestris…," Izumi taught.

At the end of class, Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stuck around to see Umbridge questioning Izumi.

"So, how long have you known Alchemy?" Umbridge asked.

"That is none of your business," Izumi answered.

"How long have you taught Alchemy?" Umbridge asked.

"The only people who have learned Alchemy from me before I took this post are Edward and Alphonse Elric," Izumi answered.

"What do you think of Professor Dumbledore?" Umbridge asked.

"He's pretty strange, but he's a good man," Izumi answered.

"Very well," Umbridge noted. "You will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time."

"I can hardly wait," Izumi remarked, grabbing the clipboard and transmuting it into dust. "NOW GET OUT!"

Umbridge turned on her heel and stormed out.

Then Izumi went to where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ed, and Al were.

"You had better go," Izumi said. "I don't want you all to be late for your next class."

Ed and Al grinned at Izumi and she smiled back.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

On a wild, blustery evening at the end of September, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ed, Al, and Winry were all in the library. While Winry was working on sixth year homework from McGonagall, the others were looking up potion ingredients for Snape. Ed had wanted to copy his homework from the year before, but Hermione and Winry ganged up on him on not copying, threatening Ed that he'd get detention or expelled if he did.

"I was wondering," Hermione said, suddenly, "whether you'd though any more about Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry."

"'Course I have," Harry said grumpily. "Can't forget it, can we, with that hag teaching us --."

"She meant about that idea she had about you teaching us," Ed interrupted.

"Well…," Harry said a few moments later, "yeah, I -- I've thought about it a bit."

"And?" Hermione asked, eagerly.

"I dunno," Harry said.

"I think it's a good idea," Al said, before Ron could answer.

"But you said that you wanted to focus on your O.W.L. exams," Harry said.

"I do, but I also want to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts properly," Al said. "And Big Brother doesn't have the patience to teach other people."

"Thanks a lot, Al," Ed remarked.

"Well, it is true, Edward," Winry agreed with Al.

"Well, it was just a load of luck," Harry said.

"But, Harry, besides Ed and Winry, you were the only one to completely throw off the Imperius Curse last year," Hermione said. "You can produce a Patronus, and you can do all sorts of stuff that full-grown wizards can't. Viktor always said --."

"Yeah, what did Vicky say?" Ron asked, rubbing his neck.

Ed snickered.

"Ho ho," Hermione said in a bored voice. "He said Harry knew how to do stuff even he didn't, and he was in the final year at Durmstrang."

"You're not still in contact with him, are you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"So what if I am?" Hermione said coolly, blushing lightly. "I can have a pen pal if I --."

"He didn't only want to be a pen pal," Ron accused.

"Well, what do you think, Harry?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron. "Will you teach us?"

"Just you, Ron, Ed, Al, and Winry, yeah?" Harry asked.

"No, not only us," Ed said. "Anyone who wants to defend themselves against Bodel-butt since it wouldn't be fair to teach anyone else."

"Yeah, but I don't think anyone except you five would want to be taught by me," Harry said. "I'm a nutter, remember?"

"Some people think I'm a puppet for the military, but I'm okay with it," Ed said.

"Ed, please," Winry scowled. "You're known as the 'Hero of the People' and 'Alchemist of the People', 'Hero from the East', shall I go on?"

Ed laughed.

"I guess I forgot!" Ed said, laughing while scratching the back of his head. "It's been so long since I've been on a mission that I've forgotten what it's like and what I'm called!"

"Look, Harry," Hermione said, looking at Harry, "you might be surprised how many people would be interested in hearing what you've got to say. The first weekend in October is a Hogsmeade weekend. How would it be if we tell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village and we can talk it over?"

"Why do we have to do it outside school?" Ron asked.

"Because Toad Lady wouldn't like it if she knew what we were up to," Al answered.

When Hogsmeade weekend finally came, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ed, Al, and Winry went out on the grounds and left the castle grounds together.

"So, are you going to come with us to the meeting?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Ed said.

"Where is it going to be?" Al asked. "The Three Broomsticks?"

"Oh -- no," Hermione said, "no, it's always packed and really noisy. I've told the others to meet us in the Hog's Head, that other pub, you know the one, Edward, it's not on the main road. I think it's a bit…you know…_dodgy_…but students don't normally go in there, so I don't think we'll be overheard."

"Well, that's not the logical way of thinking," Winry said.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"If you don't want to be overheard, you'd have to be in a noisy place like The Three Broomsticks," Winry pointed out. "You don't want to go somewhere 'dodgy' or where no one goes. If I'm right, then Umbridge will already know."

"Don't be thick," Hermione said. "Umbridge won't know."

"Don't go cryin' around when it turns out I'm right," Winry threatened.

"Well, you were wrong about Hagrid last year and about Umbridge being a horrible teacher, so you're going to be wrong about this as well," Hermione said.

Winry suddenly took on the aura of Izumi.

"Let's go to The Three Broomsticks, Winry," Ed said. "Then we can go to Honeydukes."

Winry glared at Hermione and left with Ed and Al to The Three Broomsticks.

"You might want to be careful, Hermione," Ron warned.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Winry is a scary person," Ron said.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione said. "I'm not scared of her. Let's go."

Then they went to the Hog's Head. In The Three Broomsticks, Ed, Al, and Winry were sitting at a table as they each had a bottle of butterbeer.

"I can't believe her!" Winry raged.

"Well, believe it, Win," Ed said. "Hermione can be a bitch."

"But I thought that she's a friend?" Al asked.

"She is, sort of," Ed said.

"Who says I'll talk to her anymore?" Winry asked.

"What do you mean, sort of?" Al asked.

"Hermione can't take that Winry has different views than her," Ed said.

"It's not a view!" Winry said. "It's a fact, and you know it, Edward! By Monday, there will be a new decree banning sports and groups because _Hermione_ doesn't think that they'll be overheard in the Hog's Head!"

"I know, Winry," Ed said.

Then, Ed grinned. Al groaned.

"What are you thinking about, Brother?" Al asked.

"I'm just going to prove how easy it would be to eavesdrop into their little conversation, that's all," Ed grinned.

"How?" Winry asked.

"Al, gimme your coat," Ed said.

"Why?" Al asked. "You got your own coat. And, I'm a good two inches taller than you!"

"That doesn't matter!" Ed said. "Just gimme your coat!"

Al rolled his eyes and shrugged off his brown coat. Ed stood and took his red trademark coat off and sat it down onto his seat. He was wearing a pair of black jeans with a blue long-sleeved shirt and sneakers. Izumi had made him leave his trademark black outfit and combat boots behind in Amestris. Ed put on the brown coat.

"That won't do as a disguise, Edward," Winry said. "You need to change your eye and hair color."

"That's right," Ed said. "And I need to put my hair into a ponytail."

Ed put his hair up into a ponytail and let Winry change his eye and hair color.

"What makes you think it'll work?" Al asked.

A blue-eyed, black-haired Ed looked at Al.

"You don't think this is enough?" Ed asked.

Al conjured up a pair of glasses.

"Here," Al said.

"Glasses?" Ed asked, taking the glasses from Al. "Why? I'll look like that bastard."

"A little, but your eye and hair color is different," Al pointed out.

"I thought you didn't approve?" Ed asked.

"It doesn't mean I don't want to help," Al said.

Ed grinned and put on the glasses. He unclipped his pocket watch from his jeans and put it down onto the table.

"Take care of it, will ya?" Ed asked. "See you."

Then Ed walked out of The Three Broomsticks. A few moments later, Ed arrived at the Hog's Head and grimaced at the sign above the door of a severed hog's head with blood.

'_Gross,'_ Ed thought.

He opened the door and went in. Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned to look at Ed as he went up to the bar and sat down. Besides Ed, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, there were only a few people in the bar. There was the bartender, the two people in hoods talking with heavy Yorkshire accents while sitting at a table by one of the grimy windows, a man at the bar whose whole head was wrapped in dirty gray bandages, and a witch sitting in a shadowy corner by the fireplace with a thick, black veil that fell to her toes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned away.

The barman went to Ed.

"What?" the barman grunted.

"Butterbeer," Ed answered, in a deep voice.

"Two Sickles," the barman said.

Ed took out two Sickles, and the barman gave Ed the bottle of butterbeer.

"Do you think that could be Ed?" Ron asked.

"No," Hermione said. "There are a lot of guys who wear their hair back, and that one has black hair. Edward doesn't wear glasses either."

A moment later, the door opened again. Ed looked to the corner of his eye to see that it was Neville, Dean, and Lavender followed by Parvati, Padma, Cho and one of her usually giggly friends, Luna, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbot, and a Hufflepuff girl with a long braid. Then came three Ravenclaw boys by the names of Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot. Ginny came in with a skinny, blond stuck up looking boy and finally Fred, George, and Lee.

'_Quite a bit of people,' _Ed thought.

Fred ordered the butterbeers and a few moments later, the large group was by the table that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were at. A few moments later, Hermione greeted the crowd and told them about the reason why she had wanted them all there. As Ed listened to the meeting progress, he got very bored.

'_How boring,'_ Ed thought.

Then he heard Luna's claims of Fudge having an army of 'heliopaths'.

"No, he hasn't," Hermione snapped.

"Yes, he has," Luna said.

"What are heliopaths?" Neville asked.

"They're spirits of fire," Luna described. "Great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of --."

"They don't exist, Neville," Hermione said tartly.

"Oh, yes they do!" Luna said angrily.

"I'm sorry, but where's the _proof _of that?" Hermione snapped.

"There are plenty of eyewitness accounts!" Luna snapped. "Just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you --!"

Ginny broke up the argument as Ed tried not to snicker. He shook his empty bottle at the barman, and the barman came with another bottle of butterbeer. Ed paid the barman as he took the empty bottle. Ed took a swig of the butterbeer. A few minutes later, after all the group signed Hermione's parchment, the group left. Harry, Ron, and Hermione left a moment later. Ed finished off his butterbeer and got off the stool.

"Thanks, Abe," Ed said.

Then Ed left. Al and Winry met up with Ed outside the Hog's Head.

"Well?" Al asked.

"It was all boring," Ed answered, charming his hair and eyes back to normal. "You would have gotten aggravated in just ten seconds, Al. Five for you, Winry."

Ed took off his glasses and gave it back to Al. Ed also took off the coat and gave it back to Al as Al gave Ed his red coat back. Ed put on his red coat.

"Let's go get some candy," Ed said. "We can talk about it on the way back to prison."

"School, Ed," Winry corrected.

"Whatever, same thing," Ed brushed off.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

"I told her!" Winry said, Monday morning as she, Ed, and Al looked at the new decree on the Gryffindor Common Room notice board.

**-------------------BY ORDER OF---------------------**

**The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts**

**All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and **

**Clubs are henceforth disbanded.**

**An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby **

**Defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.**

**Permission to re-form may be sought from the High **

**Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).**

**No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club**

**May exist without the knowledge and approval of the High**

**Inquisitor.**

**Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an **

**Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not **

**Been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.**

_**The above is in accordance with**_

_**Educational Decree Number Twenty-four**_

**Signed:**

_**Dolores Jane Umbridge**_

**HIGH INQUISITOR**

"Yeah, you did, Winry," Ed said. "Are you gonna rub it into her face?"

"No, because I'm not that mean," Winry said.

"She would," Ed pointed out.

"I'm not going to go down to her level," Winry said, then spotting Harry and Ron. "Let's go, I'm hungry."

Ed and Al looked to see Harry and Ron and understood. Ed and Al went with Winry down to the Great Hall where a lot of the group who was at the meeting were freaking out.

"Don't they know that they're drawing attention to themselves?" Al asked.

"Apparently not," Ed said, as he, Al, and Winry sat at the Gryffindor table.

A few moments later, Owl came to Ed and held out his leg. Ed got the letters off of Owl's leg. Owl flew off a moment later as Ed unfolded the first letter.

"What's it say?" Winry asked.

Ed didn't say anything as he read the letter.

_FullMetal,_

_Since you say that the mail is being watched,_

_Do not worry about sending in constant _

_Reports or updates. We don't want the letters_

_Being intercepted. _

_Be careful,_

_Roy Mustang_

"Well?" Al asked.

"It's from Colonel Idiot," Ed said. "Just said to be careful."

Ed stuffed the letter into his bag and unfolded the other letter. It was from Sirius.

_Good plan, Ed. Same time, same place._

"What about that one?" Al asked.

"Dog guy," Ed said.

"What did he say?" Winry asked.

"Just 'good plan' and 'same time, same place'," Ed said.

Ed put that letter into his bag as well.

"I think I'm gonna skip History of Magic," Ed said.

"Brother!" Al said.

"Well, I don't wanna be bored," Ed said. "That class is dead boring."

Ed snickered. Al rolled his eyes.

"You said that 'joke' last year, Edward," Winry scowled.

"I'm not jokin'," Ed said. "I'm just telling the truth."

"You aren't skipping, Brother," Al said. "If you do, Teacher will find out and beat you up and drag you to class."

Ed groaned.

"You're right," Ed groaned.

History of Magic was uneventful until Hedwig showed up at the window. Hedwig went to Harry's shoulder after Harry went to the window she was at and opened it. Harry went back to his seat by Hermione and Ron. Ed and Al were sitting in the table in front of them, and Ed listened in on their conversation.

"She's hurt!" Ed heard Harry say. "Look -- there's something wrong with her wing --."

Harry left the classroom a moment later. When class was over, Ed and Al went to the dungeon entrance to Potions. Harry, Ron, and Hermione came a few moments later.

"How's Hedwig?" Al asked. "Is she okay?"

"Hedwig is fine," Hermione said.

Before anyone else could say anything, Malfoy spoke up.

"Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straightaway," Malfoy boasted. "I went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows my father really well, he's always popping in and out of the Ministry…it'll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor are allowed to keep playing, won't it?"

"Don't rise," Hermione told Harry and Ron. "It's what he wants…"

"I mean," Malfoy rose his voice, "if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, I don't think they've got much chance… From what my father says, they've been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years…And as for Potter…My father says it's a matter of time before the Ministry has him carted off to St. Mungo's…apparently they've got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled."

As Harry and Ron held back a charging Neville, Ed confronted Malfoy.

"You know what _I _think of your father, Mal-fart?" Ed asked.

"I don't really care," Malfoy said.

Then Ed punched Malfoy in the face. Ed then clapped his hands and put them onto Malfoy's bag, alchemically destroying it and causing everything in the bag to fall out. The dungeon door opened, and Snape took ten points from Gryffindor after seeing Harry and Ron holding Neville back. Then Snape looked at Ed and then to Malfoy.

"Detention, Elric," Snape said. "Mr. Malfoy, fix your bag."

Then everyone went into the dungeon classroom, Malfoy staying behind for a few moments, and took their seats. Snape closed the dungeon door with an echoing bang and everyone fell silent.

"You will notice," Snape sneered, "that we have a guest with us today."

He gestured toward the dim corner of the dungeon, and Umbridge could be seen sitting there, clipboard on her knee.

"We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend," Snape said, then waving his wand. "Instructions are on the board. Carry on."

Umbridge spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner. Ed, who hadn't cared less what Umbridge was doing, looked up once Umbridge stood up and went to Snape, who was bending over Dean Thomas's cauldron.

"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," Umbridge said briskly to Snape's back. "Though, I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."

Snape straightened up slowly and turned to look at Umbridge.

"Now…how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" Umbridge asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.

"Fourteen years," Snape replied.

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Umbridge asked Snape.

"Yes," Snape said quietly.

"But you were unsuccessful?" Umbridge asked.

Snape's lip curled.

"Obviously," Snape drawled.

Ed snickered. Snape and Umbridge looked at him. Then Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard as Snape went to Ed's cauldron and looked down into it. Snape didn't say anything as he then looked into Al's cauldron.

"And you have applied regularly for the defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?" Umbridge asked.

"Yes," Snape replied, looking angry.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge.

"I suggest you ask him," Snape said jerkily, moving away from Ed and Al.

"Oh, I shall," Umbridge said with a sweet smile.

"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked.

"Oh, yes," Umbridge said. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers' -- er -- backgrounds…"

She turned away, walked over to Pansy Parkinson, and began questioning her about the lessons. Harry's potion was vanished by Snape who had assigned Harry an essay on the correct composition of the potion. Snape held Ed back at the end of class and told Ed the detention. Ed scowled as he sat down at the Gryffindor table by Al and Winry.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Winry asked.

"Brother got detention for punching Malfoy and destroying his bag," Al said.

"Edward," Winry scolded.

"He was bein' a jackass," Ed said. "Besides, I got detention with Snake, not Toad Face."

"What's the detention?" Winry asked.

"You do not want to know," Ed said.

"Just tell me!" Winry demanded.

"I have to disembowel toads for his class," Ed said. "Without gloves or magic or alchemy."

Winry and Al both shared looks of disgust. At seven o'clock that evening, Ed left the Gryffindor Common Room to go down to Snape's office for his detention. Al, Winry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all were sitting around the fireplace. Harry was trying to do his homework, but he couldn't concentrate since Fred and George were demonstrating their Puking Pastilles.

"Why don't you just stop them, Hermione, if they are getting on your nerves?" Winry asked, irritated at Hermione's repeated wincing.

Hermione had admitted that she was wrong at dinner and had apologized to Winry.

"I can't, they're not _technically_ doing anything wrong," Hermione said through gritted teeth. "They're quite within their rights to eat the foul things themselves, and I can't find a rule that says the other idiots aren't entitled to buy them, not unless they're proven to be dangerous in some way, and it doesn't look as though they are…"

"You know, I don't see why Fred and George only got three O.W.L.s each," Harry said as he watched Fred, George, and Lee collect gold from the eager crowd. "They really know their stuff…"

"Oh, they only know flashy stuff that's no use to anyone," Hermione waved off.

"It's not flashy, Hermione," Winry disagreed. "They probably didn't get many O.W.L.s because they didn't think it was useful to them. Besides, they've already got 26 Galleons."

A moment after Fred closed the doorway leading to the boys' dormitories (which was around midnight), Ed came through the portrait hole.

"Edward!" Winry said.

Ed went to where Winry was sitting and sat down beside her.

"Are you all right?" Al asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ed answered, yawning. "I just had to spend ten minutes washing my hands to get the toad guts out from my fingernails."

Ed shuddered.

"You didn't get any in your auto-mail hand, did you?" Winry asked.

"I don't think so," Ed said.

"Let me go get my kit so I can see," Winry said, standing. "I'll be right back."

Then Winry got up and went to her dorm. Just then, Sirius's head appeared in the common room fire.

"Sirius!" Harry said.

**Author's Note:** I hope you liked these chapters! I'm trying to put in more Alchemy, but the alchemists *glares at Ed, Al, and Izumi* are being difficult about it! Anyway, review please!


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took me so long to update! I'm on a bit of a block, to tell the truth. Anyway, there won't be an update for a couple to few weeks because I'll be having toe surgery and I update from a public computer since mine doesn't have internet. I'll be having to stay off of my feet. And to tell the truth, I am very scared because the doctor will be giving me an injection in the toe muscle and then be pulling out the nail to get rid of the infection. My older sister went through it, it runs in the family, and I am just scared, you know? I know it'll be okay, but it's just...well, you know, scary. Well, enjoy the chapters! OH! The Sailor Moon SuperS reference was Al telling Ed and Hermione and Winry that he had a dream about his cat Pegasus turning into an actual Pegasus with a golden horn. Read on.

**Chapter Sixteen**

Just then, Sirius's head appeared in the fire.

"Sirius!" Harry said.

"Hi," Sirius said, grinning.

"Hi," chorused Harry, Ron, and Hermione, gathering at the fireplace.

"Hello," Al said, going to the fireplace as well.

"Hey," Ed said.

"How're things?" Sirius asked.

"Not that good," Harry said, as Hermione pulled back Crookshanks and Al pulled back Pegasus so the cats wouldn't singe their whiskers. "The Ministry's forced through another degree, which means we're not allowed to have Quidditch teams --."

"Or secret Defense Against the Dark Arts groups?" Sirius completed.

"How did you know about that?" Harry demanded.

"You want to choose your meeting places more carefully," Sirius said, grinning more broadly. "The Hog's Head, I ask you…"

"Well, it was better than the Three Broomsticks!" Hermione protested. "That's always packed with people --"

"Which means you'd have been harder to overhear," Sirius said. "You've got a lot to learn, Hermione."

"And that's why I told her that she should have listened to me about having the meeting in the Three Broomsticks," Winry said as she came towards Ed with her auto-mail kit.

"Hi, Winry," Sirius greeted.

"Hello, Sirius," Winry greeted back. "Come with me to the fireplace, Ed, I need to be in the light."

"All right," Ed groaned.

Then he and Winry went to the fireplace where Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Al made room for them. Winry opened her case and then started to inspect Ed's auto-mail hand.

"Who overheard us?" Harry demanded.

"Mundungus, of course," Sirius said. "He was the witch under the veil. And we can't forget Edward."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at Ed.

"But Edward wasn't at the meeting!" Hermione said.

"He was at the bar," Sirius said. "He had black hair, blue eyes, and glasses. And he was probably wearing Alphonse's coat. It was a pretty good disguise."

"What gave me away?" Ed asked.

"You have a habit of scratching the back of your head when you yawn and your hair style," Sirius said.

"Should've known," Ed muttered.

"Why didn't you join the meeting, Ed?" Ron asked.

"Because Brother wanted to prove that anybody could be listening in at a 'dodgy' place like that," Al explained.

Ron asked why Mundungus didn't talk to them, and Sirius explained that it was because the barman had a long memory. Then Sirius brought up Mrs. Weasley.

"First of all, Ron -- I've sworn to pass on a message from your mother," Sirius said.

"Oh yeah?" Ron asked.

"She says on no account whatsoever are you to take part in an illegal secret Defense Against the Dark Arts group," Sirius said. "She says you'll be expelled for sure and your future will be ruined. She says there will be plenty of time to learn how to defend yourself later and that you are too young to be worrying about that right now. She also" -- Sirius looked at Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al, and Winry -- "advises Harry, Hermione, Edward, Alphonse, and Winry not to proceed with the group, though she accepts that she has no authority over either of them and simply begs them to remember that she has their best interests at heart. She would have written all this to you, but if the owl had been intercepted you'd all have been in real trouble, and she can't say it for herself because she's on duty tonight."

"On duty doing what?" Ron asked quickly.

"Order stuff," Ed said. "Ow! Winry, careful with what you're doin'!"

"I need more light, Ed, I can't help it," Winry said, then muttered, "Hasn't anyone heard of electricity?"

"Haven't _you_ heard of using magic?" Hermione snapped.

Winry glared at Hermione.

"There's this thing called not wanting to depend too much on magic," Winry retorted. "Oh, wait, you've never heard of it."

"All right, girls," Sirius said. "No need to get angry at each other. Anyway, it has fallen to me to be the messenger and make sure you tell her I passed it all on, because I don't think she trusts me."

"So, you want me to say I'm not going to take part in the defense group?" Ron muttered.

"Me?" Sirius asked, looking surprised. "Certainly not! I think it's an excellent idea!"

"You do?" Harry asked, his heart lifting.

"Of course I do!" Sirius said. "D'you think your father and I would've lain down and taken orders from an old hag like Umbridge?"

"But -- last term all you did was tell me to be careful and not take risks --!" Harry said.

"That's because somebody was trying to whack only you off," Ed explained. "But this year, there's somebody who'd want to kill us _all_ off! And learning to defend ourselves is the only thing that we can do!"

"Edward's right, Harry," Sirius said.

"What if we do get expelled?" Hermione asked.

"It was your idea!" Harry protested.

"I know it was…I just wondered what Sirius thought," Hermione shrugged.

"It's better to be able to defend yourself than to be killed when you could've learned how to defend yourself," Ed pointed out.

"I agree with Edward," Sirius answered. "It's better to know how to defend yourselves and get expelled than to stay in school without a clue."

"Hear, hear," Harry and Ron agreed.

"So," Sirius said, "how are you organizing this group? Where are you meeting?"

"Well, that's a bit of a problem now," Harry admitted. "Dunno where we're going to be able to go…"

"How about the Shrieking Shack?" Sirius suggested.

"I thought that place was haunted?" Al asked.

"No, it's not haunted," Hermione replied. "It's just a rumor that's been spread because Professor Lupin used it in school when he transformed into a werewolf. But that isn't a good idea because Sirius, Wormtail, and Harry's father could turn into Animagi. And I highly doubt that twenty-eight," then correcting herself when Ed cleared his throat, "_thirty-one_ of us could fit under Harry's Invisibility Cloak. We'd need an Invisibility Marquee."

"Fair point," Sirius said, looking slightly crestfallen. "well, I'm sure you'll come up with somewhere…There used to be a pretty roomy secret passageway behind the big mirror on the fourth floor, you might have enough space to practice jinxes in there --."

"Fred and George told me it's blocked," Harry said, shaking his head. "Caved in or something."

"Not anymore it's not," Ed said.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked. "If Harry said --."

Sirius broke off. His face was suddenly tense, alarmed. He turned sideways, apparently looking into the solid brick wall of the fireplace.

"Sirius?" Harry asked anxiously.

But Sirius had vanished. Harry gaped at the flames for a moment, then turned to look at Ed, Al, Winry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Let's go!" Al suddenly said.

Everyone turned to see that a hand had appeared amongst the flames, groping as though to catch hold of something; a stubby, short-fingered hand covered in ugly old-fashioned rings…

They all ran for it; at the door of the boys' dormitory, Harry and Ed looked back. Umbridge's hand was still making snatching movements amongst the flames, as though she knew exactly where Sirius's hair had been moments before and was determined to seize it.

The next day in Charms, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ed, and Al talked about what had happened since Charms was the perfect class to have a conversation. There was generally so much movement and activity that the danger of being overheard was very slight. Today, with the room full of croaking bullfrogs and cawing ravens, and with a heavy downpour of rain clattering and pounding against the classroom windows, Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione's whispered discussion about how Umbridge had nearly caught Sirius went quite unnoticed.

"Umbridge has been reading your mail, Harry," Hermione said. "There's no other explanation."

"You think Umbridge attacked Hedwig?" Harry asked, outraged.

"Of course she did, Harry," Ed answered. "Why else would Hedwig be hurt? Besides, the Thestrals wouldn't harm the owls."

"What are Thestrals?" Ron asked.

"The things that pull the carriages," Al replied. "Brother said that we'll be learning about them this year."

"Then that would be why…," Hermione started.

"Why what?" Ron asked.

"You'll just have to find out when we learn about them," Hermione snapped, then looking at Harry. "Anyway, I've been suspecting this ever since Filch accused you of ordering Dungbombs, because it seemed such a stupid lie. I mean, once your letter had been read, it would have been quite clear you _weren't_ ordering them, so you wouldn't have been in trouble at all -- it's a bit of a feeble joke, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," Ed interrupted. "Umbridge just tipped him off. Once he got the letter, he would hand it over to the Toad Bitch. Harry, you're squashin' your frog."

Harry looked down and saw that he was squeezing his bullfrog so tightly its eyes were popping; he replaced it hastily upon the desk.

"It was a close call last night," Al said. "But if he _had_ been caught, then he would be back in Marzipan."

**(Author's Note:****I just couldn't resist a Psych reference.)**

"Azkaban," Hermione corrected as Ed shook with suppressed laughter. "Edward, shut up."

Hermione silenced her frog and then Harry's.

"Try Silencing your raven, Alphonse," Hermione encouraged.

Al jabbed his wand and saying the incantation and the raven silenced.

"Well done, Alphonse!" Flitwick cheered. "I'm positive that you won't have trouble next year when we start speechless magic!"

Al blushed in embarrassment.

"Edward, you try," Flitwick suggested.

Ed silenced his frog with a jab without saying the incantation.

"Congratulations!" Flitwick said.

At the end of class, Hermione stormed to the castle without Harry, Ron, Ed, and Al.

"Did I do anything?" Al asked.

"Nah, she's just jealous," Ron brushed off. "Let's get to the castle."

Then they all went to the castle and found Hermione and Winry in a classroom. When going over to Winry and Hermione, Winry gasped at the wet appearance of them.

"You're all wet!" Winry said.

"Of course we are," Ed replied. "It's a fuckin' downpour out there."

"You need to dry yourselves off or you'll get sick," Winry instructed.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed remarked.

Ed clapped his hands and then placed them onto his chest. There was a flash of bluish-white light as Ed's clothes dried. Al copied his brother. Harry, Ron, and Hermione gaped at them.

"That's bloody brilliant," Ron said. "Will we learn that?"

"No," Al stated. "It can't be taught. Only people who have seen…"

"Who have seen what?" Hermione asked kindly, forgetting about her jealousy.

Then Al quickly left the classroom.

"Al!" Ed called out. "Al!"

Then Ed went after Al.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked.

Winry scowled and went after Ed and Al.

Ed was able to find Al just outside the castle doors. Al was sitting on the top stone step, his arms around his legs that were against his chest and his chin on his knees. He was staring off into space as rain pounded down onto him. Winry came and stood next to Ed.

"Al?" Ed asked. "Are you all right?"

"I don't want to go back," Al whispered.

"Go back where?" Winry asked.

"_There_," Al quietly replied.

Ed went to Al and sat down by him.

"You mean the Gate," Ed correctly assumed.

Al nodded.

"It was lonely there," Al whispered.

"But only your body was there," Winry said.

"I know, but…," Al started. "Sometimes, I have dreams that I lost hold of the Philosopher's Stone when I broke my blood seal and I end up having to spend eternity there…"

"You don't have to go back there, Al," Ed assured. "Don't worry."

"You promise?" Al asked.

"We promise," Winry affirmed, placing a hand on Al's shoulder. "Let's go, okay, so we won't get sick."

Al nodded again. He and Ed both stood up and went with Winry inside the castle. Ed and Al alchemized themselves dry. Ed clapped his hands and placed them on Winry's shoulders. With a flash of light, Winry was dried off. Ed kept his hands on Winry's shoulders for a few moments longer but then took them off.

"Let's get to class," Ed said.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

By the next day, the rain had only gotten stronger. Ed's auto-mail ports had started to throb, but he ignored the pain the best he could. He didn't want anyone worrying about him. At lunch, Harry told Angelina about the meeting's whereabouts after she had told him and Ron that practice was cancelled. Hermione was giving Harry a look.

"What?" Harry asked thickly.

"Well…it's just that Dobby's plans aren't always that safe," Hermione replied. "Don't you remember when he lost you all the bones in your arm?"

"We used the Room of Requirement last year," Ed spoke up.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at Ed.

"Why didn't you say anything this morning or --?" Hermione started.

"No one asked me," Ed brushed off, a flicker of pain crossing his face as he shrugged.

"What's wrong, Ed?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," Ed lied.

"Brother's auto-mail ports always hurt when it's raining or cold," Al spoke up.

"I could have given you some medicine for the pain, Edward," Winry said. "Granny gave me some before --."

"I don't want medicine," Ed interrupted. "I'll be fine."

"What did you mean about the passageway behind the mirror not being blocked anymore?" Harry asked.

"If I tell you, I'll have to wipe your memory afterwards," Ed threatened, grinning.

"Brother told me that he cleared it out with Alchemy so Winry could help him train for the last task in privacy," Al spoke up.

"Al!" Ed hissed.

"I bet that's not the --," Ron started.

"You finish that sentence and I'll shove --!" Winry started to threaten.

"I thought you said you used the Room of Requirement last year," Hermione interrupted.

"We did," Ed said. "We used them both."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent the rest of the day rounding up the people who had come to the meeting in the Hog's Head. At half past seven, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the Gryffindor common room. When they got to the seventh floor, they saw that there was already a door there. Harry opened the door to see Ed, Al, and Winry were already in there. Harry, Ron, and Hermione went into the Room of Requirement.

"How long have you been in here?" Hermione asked.

"A few minutes," Ed answered.

He, Al, and Winry were sitting on the pillows in the room, reading books.

"What if you were caught?!" Hermione asked.

"We weren't gonna get caught," Ed scoffed. "Don't worry so much."

Hermione pursed her lips. By the time eight rolled around, everyone of the people who had been at the meeting in the Hog's Head was in the Room of Requirement.

"Well," Harry said, slightly nervous. "This is the place we've found for practices, and you've -- er -- obviously found it okay --."

"It's fantastic!" Cho exclaimed.

"It's bizarre," Fred said, frowning around the Room of Requirement. "We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard them…"

Harry explained about the Dark Detectors.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and -- er --," Harry started.

"Don't you think a leader needs to be elected first?" Ed spoke up.

"Harry's leader," Cho answered at once.

"You need to have a proper vote first, Cho," Winry snapped.

"I agree with Winry," Hermione quickly said. "It makes it formal and gives him authority. So -- everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everybody rose their hands, and Ed and Winry just said 'whatever'.

"We also ought to have a name," Hermione said brightly. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?' Angelina asked hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" suggested Fred.

"That's too obvious," Ed reasoned.

"It should be Dumbledore's Army," Al said. "You know, since that's the Ministry's worst fear. It can be the D.A. for short."

There was a good deal of appreciative murmuring.

"All in favor of the D.A.?" Hermione asked bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count the hands raised. "That's a majority -- motion passed!"

She gave the piece of paper to Ed, Al, and Winry to sign and then posted it on the wall and wrote DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY across the top in large letters.

"Right," Harry continued after Hermione had sat back down, "shall we go on practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is _Expelliarmus_, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful --"

"Oh, _please_," Zacharias Smith scoffed, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think _Expelliarmus_ is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"Harry used it against Bodel-butt and lived, rat face," Ed said. "But if you think you're too good, you can leave."

Smith didn't move, nor did anyone else.

"Okay," Harry said, his mouth dry, "I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice."

Everyone paired up. Ed and Al paired with each other as Winry paired up with Neville. That freed Harry to check up on everyone as they practiced the spell. Before they knew it, an hour had passed. Harry checked the Marauder's Map and let everyone go. Ed, Al, and Winry went with Harry, Ron, and Hermione back to Gryffindor Tower.

As the meetings wore on, everyone was doing better and better. At the fourth meeting, Hermione passed out fake Galleons.

"You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" Hermione asked, holding one up for examination at the end of their fourth meeting. "On real Galleons that's just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though --."

"You cast a Protean Charm on them," Ed interrupted.

Everyone looked at Ed.

"How --?" Hermione started.

"I'm a prodigy, what can I say?" Ed smirked. "Anyway, the numbers correspond to the date and time of the next meeting. They'll grow hot whenever Harry changes the date and time and blah, blah, blah…It's a N.E.W.T. standard."

"Why weren't you put in Ravenclaw?" Terry Boot demanded of Hermione.

"Well, the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw during my Sorting," Hermione admitted. "But it chose Gryffindor."

"What about you, Elric?" Terry Boot then demanded of Ed.

"Too boring," Ed commented.

"These are like the Death Eater tattoos," Harry observed.

"That _is_ where I got the idea," Hermione admitted. "But you'll notice I decided to engrave the date on bits of metal rather than on our members' skin…"

"I prefer your way," Harry grinned.

"I don't know," Ed said. "A tattoo sounds pretty cool."

Winry scowled.

"Coming from the person who's afraid of getting shots," Winry scoffed.

Ed turned red in embarrassment as Al chuckled while everyone else laughed.

October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces. The skies and the ceiling of the Great Hall turned a pale, pearly gray, the mountains around Hogwarts became snowcapped, and the temperature in the castle dropped so far that many students wore their thick protective dragon skin gloves in the corridors between classes.

The morning of the match dawned bright and cold. When Harry awoke he looked around at Ron's bed and saw him sitting bolt upright, his arms around his knees, staring fixedly into space. Harry looked to Ed and Al who were almost finished getting dressed. Al had just pulled on his green sweater and sat down on the edge of his bed to pull his shoes on and tie them. Ed was about to pull on his blue sweater when he realized that Harry was looking at him.

"What?" Ed asked.

"Your shoulder," Harry said. "I didn't realize how your auto-mail was connected…"

"You just noticed?" Ed asked.

"Well, you've always left the dorm before any of us," Harry answered. "It looks swollen."

"Brother's shoulder and leg always gets swollen when it's this cold," Al spoke up. "He'll be okay. Brother, we promised Winry we'd meet her for breakfast so we could get seats together. Hurry."

"All right," Ed groaned, pulling his sweater on over his head. "I don't see why…"

Ed pulled the tie out of his hair, combed his hair out, and put his hair back up into a ponytail. He pulled his white gloves on, put on his red, winter version of his trademark jacket, and put on his trademark boots.

"See you at breakfast," Ed waved, as he and Al left the dorm.

At the Great Hall, Ed and Al found Winry sitting with Hermione and Ginny. Ed and Al sat with them.

"Where are Harry and Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Harry just got up, and Ron is sitting comatose on his bed," Ed replied.

"Edward," Winry scolded.

"It's true, Winry," Al insisted.

"Ron may just be nervous," Ginny said. "It is his first game after all."

A few moments later, Harry and Ron came to the table where Harry had told everyone that Ron was nervous.

"As long as you don't screw up, Ron, everything will be fine," Ed remarked.

"EDWARD!" Winry, Hermione, Al, and Ginny scolded.

Ed cringed.

"I was only joking," Ed mumbled.

At the match, Ed got irritated by the Slytherins singing the 'Weasley Is Our King' song. Izumi didn't quite like the singing either.

"My dear Izumi, what is troubling you?" Dumbledore asked.

"You didn't say how cold it got in this country," Izumi grumbled, pulling her coat tighter around her.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Of course it would be cold, Professor Curtis," Umbridge simpered. "This is, after all, a northern country."

"I wasn't talking to you, Dolores," Izumi snapped.

"Now, now," Dumbledore calmed. "Of course it would be different for you, Izumi. You are not used to the cold."

"I don't mind it as much as the stupid singing by those Slytherin brats," Izumi said.

"They are only children, Izumi," Snape commented. "Children will be children. Unlike your _student_ Edward, they know when to --"

"Edward doesn't disrespect his classmates," Izumi cut off.

"I quite disagree, Izumi," Dolores disagreed. "He has --."

"Let's all just enjoy the game," Sinistra interrupted.

Just then, a coughing fit came over Izumi. Luckily, she had a handkerchief so she could cough into it.

"Are you all right, Izumi?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Yes, I'm fine," Izumi lied, stuffing her blood soaked handkerchief into her pocket.

"I can make you a draught if you would --," Snape started.

"Potions can't cure it," Izumi interrupted. "Excuse me, I need to go lie down."

"Of course," Dumbledore said.

Then Izumi left a moment later. Ed, Al, and Winry watched her leave.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

Ed, Al, and Winry looked at each other and then at Hermione.

"Nothing," Ed lied. "I'm going to the castle."

"What for?" Ginny asked.

"I need to piss," Ed lied.

Then Ed left. Winry scowled as Al groaned.

'_Couldn't Brother have come up with a better excuse?'_ Al thought.

When Ed got to the castle, he saw that Izumi was sitting on the front steps.

"Are you all right, Teacher?" Ed asked, out of breath as he stopped in front of her.

"I didn't realize how hard it would be for me here," Izumi replied. "You didn't tell me how cold it would be."

"I did, too, Teacher!" Ed protested. "I told you after you accepted the teaching job here!"

Izumi didn't say anything.

"Teacher, Al is still acting different," Ed said, sitting next to Izumi.

"How different?" Izumi asked.

"You know, getting scared for no reason," Ed replied. "Spacin' out, snappin' at people."

"He's not doing it all of the time, is he?" Izumi asked.

"No, but it still worries me," Ed answered. "Maybe I'm makin' a mountain over a molehill or something."

"Maybe," Izumi replied. "Maybe it has something to do with the Gate of Truth."

"He did say that he didn't want to be alone anymore," Ed remembered. "Do you think that he was --?"

"The best thing we can do is to not bother him about it," Izumi interrupted. "If he wants to tell us anything, he will tell us in his own time."

"I guess you're right," Ed sighed. "Teacher."

"What?" Izumi snapped.

"Nothing," Ed answered, standing. "I'm gonna go up to the common room. I don't wanna watch the rest of the stupid Quidditch match."

"No, you're going back to the match," Izumi ordered.

"Do I have to?" Ed whined.

"Yes, you do," Izumi answered. "You need to show some support for your House."

Ed groaned and went back to the stadium and sat back down by Hermione, Ginny, Winry, and Al.

"Why didn't you go back to the Common Room?" Hermione asked.

"Didn't want to," Ed replied.

"You mean, Teacher wouldn't let you," Al said in Xingese.

"Yeah," Ed replied in Xingese.

"What language are you speaking in?" Hermione asked. "It sounds Asian."

"It's Xingese," Al answered. "Brother was required to learn it in case he had to go there, so I decided to take the classes with him in case he messed up on what he was saying."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Al," Ed remarked.

Al chuckled. A few minutes later, the match was won by Harry. Ed, Al, Winry, Hermione, and Ginny went down to the pitch to congratulate Harry on winning the game and to see if he was okay from being knocked off his broom. When getting to the Gryffindor team, they overheard Malfoy trash talking Harry and the Weasleys. Before Ed and Al could say anything, though, Harry and George launched themselves at Malfoy.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

"Banned?" Angelina asked in a hollow voice, later that evening in the Gryffindor common room. "_Banned?_ No seeker and no Beaters…What on earth are we going to do?"

It did not feel as though they had won the match at all. There were disconsolate and angry faces all over the room; the team themselves were slumped around the fire, all apart from Ron, who had not been seen since the end of the match.

"It's just so unfair," Alicia commented numbly. "I mean, what about Crabbe and that Bludger he hit after the whistle had been blown? Has she banned _him_?"

"No, he's just got lines," Ed replied. "He was laughin' about it at dinner until I went over there and put a fist in his face."

He, Al, Winry, Hermione and Ginny were sitting by Harry.

"So you'll probably be doing detention with me then," Harry grumbled.

As the snitch that Harry had caught flew around the common room, Crookshanks jumped from chair to chair to try to catch it as Pegasus watched from his place on Al's lap. A few minutes later, the Gryffindor team (minus Harry and Ron) had went up to bed as did Ginny a few minutes later. Ron came and Hermione had him come by and sit in front of the fire.

"I'm sorry," Ron mumbled.

"For what?" Harry asked.

"For thinking I can play Quidditch," Ron answered. "I'm going to resign first thing tomorrow."

"If you do that, then there will only be three players on the team," Ed remarked.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Harry, Fred, and George had received a lifelong ban from Professor Toad," Al answered.

"What?!" Ron yelped.

Hermione told Ron the full story. Afterwards, Harry and Ron bickered, and then…

"Stop!" Al snapped.

Harry and Ron both looked at Al.

"It's no one's fault for what happened," Al reasoned. "Anybody would be unnerved by that mean song. Neither of you should blame yourselves."

A few moments later, Hermione told them that Hagrid was back.

"You all can go, but I'm goin' to bed," Ed said.

"Don't you want to see Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"I'll see him later," Ed answered.

Then Ed went up to the fifth year boys' dormitory.

"I can wait until tomorrow to see him," Al said.

Then Al followed a moment later.

"Tell Hagrid we'll see him tomorrow," Winry told Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Winry went up to the sixth year girls' dormitory.

The next morning, Harry and Ron worked on their homework in the Gryffindor Common Room while Ed and Al played out in the snow with Fred and George and other people as Hermione tried to talk some sense into Hagrid. Winry was sitting out on the stone steps of the castle watching Ed and Al. Ron looked out the window after Fred and George sent snowballs at him after scolding them.

"You'd think that Alphonse hadn't played in snow before," Ron observed.

Harry looked out the window to see Ed and Al throwing snowballs at each other and Fred and George while laughing.

"Well, Alphonse hasn't had a body for a long time, right?" Harry pointed out. "He's just having fun."

Ron groaned. Then he and Harry returned to their homework. At lunch, Winry, Ed, Al, and Hermione went to the Great Hall. After they sat down together with Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table, Ed clapped his hands and put a hand each on Winry's shoulder and on Al's shoulder, making them both dry with a flash of light. Then Ed did the same for himself.

"You know, there is something called magic," Hermione commented as she dried herself with her wand.

"Alchemy is easier," Ed replied, starting to dish some food onto his plate. "Did you get Hagrid's lessons planned out?"

"No," Hermione answered. "He just won't listen to me. He said that he has chimaera, but getting the eggs are impossible!"

"Chimera?" Al asked, dropping his fork. "Are you positive?"

"Yes, that's what he said," Hermione answered.

"But chimera aren't born!" Al protested. "They're made!"

"Not _that_ type of chimera, Alphonse," Hermione explained. "But a cross bred animal."

"Oh," Al said.

"I just wonder what type of chimaera it could be," Hermione wondered.

"You'll see," Ed said, taking a bite of his lunch.

On Tuesday, Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed down to Hagrid's, heavily muffled against the cold. Harry was worried, not only about what Hagrid might have decided to teach them, but also about how the rest of the class, particularly Malfoy and his cronies, would behave if Umbridge was watching them. However, Umbridge was nowhere to be seen as they struggled through the snow toward Hagrid, who stood waiting for them on the edge of the forest. He did not present a reassuring sight; the bruises that had been purple on Saturday night were now tinged with green and yellow and some of his cuts still seemed to be bleeding. As though to complete the ominous picture, Hagrid was carrying what looked like half a dead cow over his shoulder.

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark…"

"What prefers the dark?" Malfoy demanded, a hint of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark -- did you hear?"

"Hey, Mal-fart, maybe if you SHUT UP for once, you'd learn something," Ed suggested.

Harry and Ron grinned at each other as Hagrid smiled at Ed. Ed grinned back.

"Ready?" Hagrid asked happily, looking around at the class. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studying today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the only person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em."

"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" Malfoy asked in a panicked tone. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

"Mal-fart, they're trained, so stop your whining," Ed snapped. "But if it would make you feel better, you could go in by yourself to see."

"How would _you_ know that they're trained, Elric?" Malfoy sneered. "Oh, wait, that's right, you would know because you're stupid enough to have been held back."

Ed made to attack Malfoy, but Harry, Ron, and Al held him back as he yelled obscenities at Malfoy.

"All righ', let's go," Hagrid called, turning into the forest.

Harry, Ron, and Al let go of Ed once Malfoy and cronies were out of reach. Ed straightened his cloak and started into the forest after the other Gryffindors, Al following after him.

"Brother, wait for me!" Al called.

Ed slowed down and stopped. Al went to him.

"Brother, you've really got to calm down," Al reasoned.

"I would, but that Mal-fart pisses me off," Ed scowled, as he and Al followed their classmates.

After ten minutes of walking, they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow on the ground at all. Hagrid deposited his half a cow with a grunt on the ground, stepped back, and turned to face his class again, most of whom were creeping toward him from tree to tree, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment.

"Gather roun', gather roun'!" Hagrid encouraged. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat, but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me…"

He turned, shook his shaggy head to get the hair out of his face, and gave an odd, shrieking cry that echoed through the dark trees like the call of some monstrous bird. Nobody laughed; most of them looked too scared to make a sound. Hagrid gave the shrieking cry again. A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over their shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming. And then, as Hagrid shook his hair back for a third time and expanded his enormous chest, Ed and Al saw a pair of blank, white, shining eyes in the black space between two gnarled yew trees. They were growing larger through the gloom and a moment later the dragonish face, neck, and then skeletal body of a great, black winged horse emerged from the darkness. It surveyed the class for a few seconds, swishing its long black tail, then bowed its head and began to tear flesh from the dead cow with its pointed fangs.

Only a few people could see the creature as everyone else looked to see where the creature was. A Slytherin standing behind Goyle was watching the horse eating the cow with an expression of great distaste, Neville was watching the tail swish back and forth, Ed and Al also wore expressions of distaste as Harry was looking at them.

"Oh, an' here comes another one!" Hagrid said proudly, as a second black horse appeared out of the dark trees, folded its leathery wings closer to its body, and dipped its head to gorge on the meat. "Now…put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"

Ed, Al, Harry, Neville, and the Slytherin raised their hands.

"I thought you would see them," Hagrid told Harry, Ed, and Al. "You too, Neville, eh?"

"Excuse me," Malfoy sneered. "But what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"

"Look at the fuckin' cow," Ed retorted.

Everyone looked at the cow carcass on the ground for a few seconds, then several people gasped and Parvati squealed.

"What's doing it?" Parvati demanded. "What's eating it?"

"Ed, why don' you explain?" Hagrid suggested.

"They're called Thestrals," Ed explained, crossing his arms across his chest. "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of them in the forest."

"But they're unlucky!" Parvati protested.

"That's just stupid superstition," Ed scowled. "They aren't unlucky. They pull the school carriages. The only people who can see them are those who have seen someone kick the bucket."

"That's exactly right," Hagrid confirmed solemnly. "Ten points ter Grffindor. Now, Thestrals --"

"_Hem, hem_," a voice said.

Professor Umbridge had arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Harry, wearing her green hat and cloak again, her clipboard at the ready. Hagrid, who had never heard Umbridge's fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the closest Thestrals, evidently under the impression that it had made the sound.

"_Hem, hem,_" Umbridge fake coughed.

"Oh, hello!" Hagrid beamed, having located the source of the noise.

"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" Umbridge asked, in a loud, slow voice as though she were addressing somebody both foreign and very slow. "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?"

"Oh yeah," Hagrid said brightly. "Glad yeh found the place all right! Well, as you can see -- or, I dunno -- can you? We're doin' Thestrals today --"

"I'm sorry?" Umbridge asked loudly, cupping her hand around her ear, frowning. "What did you say?"

Hagrid looked a little confused.

"Er -- _Thestrals_!" Hagrid clarified loudly. "Big -- er -- winged horses, yeh know!"

He flapped his gigantic arms hopefully. Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows at him and muttered as she made a note on her clipboard, "_Has… to… resort… to… crude… sign… language…_"

"Well. . .anyway . . .," Hagrid continued a little flustered, as he turned back to the students. "Erm…what was I saying?"

"'_Appears to have poor short term memory…,'_" Umbridge noted loud enough so that everyone could hear her.

"Oh, yeah," Hagrid went on, throwing an uneasy glance at Umbridge's clipboard. "Yeah, I was gonna tell yeh how come we got a herd. Yeah, so, we started off with a male an' five females. This one," he patted the first horse to have appeared, "name o' Tenebrus, he's my special favorite, firs' one born here in the forest --"

"Are you aware," Umbridge loudly interrupted, "that thee Ministry of Magic has classified Thestrals as dangerous?"

"Thestrals aren' dangerous!" Hagrid protested. "All righ', they might take a bite outta you if yeh really annoy them --"

"'_Shows… signs… of… pleasure… at… idea… of… violence…,'_" Umbridge muttered, scribbling on her clipboard again.

"Hagrid's right, Toad bitch," Ed interrupted.

Umbridge looked up at Ed.

"Excuse me?" Umbridge asked in a falsely sweet voice.

"You heard me," Ed replied. "The only way they'd be dangerous is if you piss them off. Like how you're pissin' _me_ off."

Umbridge gave a false laugh and patted Ed on the head. Ed swatted her hand away.

"Don't touch me," Ed snapped.

Umbridge looked coldly at Ed and then went around and spoke with the students. After doing so, she told Hagrid in a condescending way that he'd be receiving his results in ten days time.

"That foul, lying, twisted old gargoyle!" Hermione stormed half an hour later, as she, Harry, Ron, Ed, and Al made their way back up to the castle through the channels they had made earlier in the snow. "You see what she's up to? It's her thing about half-breeds all over again -- she's trying to make out Hagrid's some kind of dim-witted troll, just because he had a giantess for a mother -- and oh, it's not fair, that really wasn't a bad lesson at all -- I mean, all right, if it had been Blast-Ended Skrewts again, but Thestrals are fine -- in fact, for Hagrid, they're really good!"

"Umbridge said they're dangerous," Ron said.

"They can look after themselves," Ed pointed out.

"Yes, Edward is right," Hermione agreed. "I suppose a teacher like Grubbly-Plank wouldn't usually show them to us before N.E.W.T. level, but, well, they _are_ very interesting, aren't they? The way some people can see them and some can't! I wish I could."

"Do you really?" Al asked softly.

Hermione looked horrorstruck.

"Oh, Alphonse, I'm sorry," Hermione apologized. "No, of course I don't. That was a really stupid thing to say."

"That's all right," Al forgave. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm surprised so many people _could_ see them," Ron admitted. "Five in a class…"

"Yeah, Weasley, we were just wondering," a malicious voice spoke up. Unheard by any of them in the muffling snow, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were walking along right behind them. "D'you reckon if you saw someone snuff it you'd be able to see the Quaffle better?"

As Malfoy and his cronies walked away laughing, Ed growled and spoke up.

"Hey, Mal-fart!" Ed called out.

Malfoy and his cronies stopped and looked at Ed.

"Do you think _you'd_ be able to see the Snitch by yourself instead of watching Harry all the time if _you _saw someone snuff it?" Ed retorted.

Malfoy turned and stormed off, his cronies following after him. Ron and Harry burst out in laughter.

"That was brilliant, mate, brilliant," Ron commented.

Ed smirked as he straightened his cloak.

December arrived, bringing with it more snow and a positive avalanche of homework for the fifth years. Ron and Hermione's prefect duties also became more and more onerous as Christmas approached. They were called upon to supervise the decoration of the castle, to watch over first and second years spending their break times inside because of the bitter cold, and to patrol the corridors in shifts with Argus Filch, who suspected that the holiday spirit might show itself in an outbreak of wizard duels. They were so busy that Hermione had stopped knitting elf hats and was fretting that she was down to her last three.

"All those poor elves I haven't set free yet, having to stay over during Christmas because there aren't enough hats!" Hermione fretted.

As Harry bent over his History of Magic essay, Winry spoke up.

"How do you know that they count as clothes?" Winry asked. "I mean, hats aren't really clothes. They're just accessories. And socks are just for your feet."

Hermione stopped talking to Winry for the rest of that evening and the day after. Ron had invited Winry, Ed, and Al to come to the Burrow for Christmas, but they had declined.

"Sorry, but Al and I are gonna go to Dublith with Teacher for the holidays," Ed declined.

"And I'm going to go to Resembool," Winry politely declined.

At the last defense club meeting, they just went over what they had learned so far. At the end of the hour, Harry called a halt.

"You're getting really good," Harry beamed at everyone. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff -- maybe even Patronuses."

There was a murmur of excitement. The room began to clear in the usual twos and threes; most people wished Harry a Happy Christmas as they left. Ed, Al, and Winry were among the first ones to leave. Al went ahead to Gryffindor Tower while Ed and Winry went to the passageway that was covered by the large mirror on the fourth floor. Ed and Winry looked up and down the hall and saw that no one was around. Ed pulled open the mirror to reveal a space of rock. He clapped his hands and placed them onto the rock. With a flash of light, the rock disappeared and the passageway appeared. Ed allowed Winry in first and then followed, shutting the mirror shut behind him.

Ed then pulled something out from his inner cloak pocket and held it out to Winry.

"What is this?" Winry asked, taking the package.

"What does it look like?" Ed muttered blushing. "It's your Christmas present."

"But Christmas isn't until a few more days," Winry said.

"Just open it!" Ed snapped, his face still red.

Winry scowled. She then unwrapped the present. Winry squealed and then hugged Ed who blushed harder.

"Oh, Ed!" Winry gushed after letting Ed go. "It's wonderful! It's exactly what I needed!"

"I thought it would be," Ed mumbled, scratching his cheek with a finger. "You've been sayin' for the longest that you wanted that Deluxe Wrench Set for a while, ever since you've seen it in the store window at Central before coming back here."

"It must have cost a fortune!" Winry breathed.

"It doesn't matter," Ed stated. "As long as --"

Ed was cut off by Winry kissing him full on the lips.

Ed and Winry returned to the common room shortly after Hermione went up to the fifth year girls' dormitory. Harry and Ron looked at Ed and Winry.

"Where have you two been?" Ron asked, smirking.

"It is none of your business!" Winry snapped.

Winry stormed up to the sixth year girls' dormitory while Ed shrugged and went to the fifth year boys' dormitory. A few moments later, Harry and Ron came up to the fifth year boys' dormitory as well.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

"Hm…," Ed wondered aloud two days later.

He and Al were now at Dublith as Winry was at Resembool. Ed and Al were at the river bank laying on their backs in the grass. Ed had his hands clasped behind his head as he stared up at the bright blue sky.

"What are you thinking about, Brother?" Al asked, sitting up and looking over at Ed.

"About…," Ed started.

"Are you thinking about the other night?" Al asked. "About Harry's nightmare?"

"I don't think it was a dream," Ed finally answered.

"Why don't you think so?" Al asked.

"Because Dumbledore wouldn't have let all the Weasleys and Harry go early if it was just a nightmare," Ed replied. "I think Mr. Weasley _was_ almost killed. That stupid old geezer not fillin' us in and making us…"

"Maybe Professor Dumbledore didn't want us to worry about Mr. Weasley, Brother," Al guessed. "Besides, we would be too much in the way. Wouldn't we?"

Ed groaned. He sat up.

"I don't see why we had to come back here," Ed complained. "I would rather go to Central City than to stay in this place."

"You know we can't, Ed," Al reminded. "Colonel Mustang and Fuhrer Bradley ordered you to come here so that Scar wouldn't try to --."

"Kill me," Ed completed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But at least…"

"Look at the bright side, Brother," Al spoke up. "At least we'll be able to --."

"To what?" Ed asked.

Al had went silent and didn't say anything. Ed turned to see what Al was looking at and blanched: Izumi was standing right behind them with her arms crossed over her chest. She had an angry expression.

"What do you think you two boys are doing?" Izumi asked.

"Relaxing," Ed answered.

"When you've got piles of homework to be done?" Izumi asked.

"Well…," Ed started.

"I expect you to be back at the house in ten minutes," Izumi ordered. "You are not to go back outside until it is all completed."

"Yes, Ma'am," Ed and Al obeyed.

"And, Edward, you need to start on your training again," Izumi added.

"Why?" Ed asked.

"You're getting flabby," Izumi explained.

"WHAT?!" Ed exclaimed. "I AM NOT!"

"Oh, then why did I have to buy you a bigger size of clothes?" Izumi asked. "Especially pant sizes?"

"I'm growing!" Ed excused.

"Around the middle more lately," Izumi said. "I'm surprised that Winry hasn't complained to you yet since you both are making love with each other."

Ed's face turned red. Ed lunged at Izumi and tried to punch her, but Izumi dodged Ed's punch and delivered a blow to Ed's stomach and then his back, making Ed scream. A moment later, Ed was laying on the grass and groaning.

"This is one reason why I did not want you attending that school, Edward," Izumi explained, her arms crossed over her chest. "It allowed you to start being lazy and gave you an excuse to be lazy. I see how you eat at school. It's not healthy if you don't have exercise. Every morning before you start on anything, you are to train with me and Alphonse."

"Yes, Ma'am," Ed grumbled.

Izumi helped Ed stand up.

"Now, you and Alphonse get back to the house and start on your homework," Izumi ordered.

Then Ed and Al went back to the Curtis residence. Meanwhile, Winry was at Resembool looking over a design of auto-mail that Pinako had just come up with.

"It's incredible, Granny," Winry approved. "It's just amazing!"

"I thought it would be a perfect design for Edward since it's very cold in the winter in Scotland," Pinako said. "How is he coping?"

"He's coping all right," Winry answered. "He's in pain sometimes, but he doesn't show it much."

"What's wrong?" Pinako asked.

Winry sighed as she sat down on the sofa. She was wearing a pair of baggy pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

"I'm learning so much, but…," Winry started.

"The novelty is wearing off," Pinako assumed.

"A bit, but that's not it, Granny," Winry replied. "There's this teacher who works for the Ministry of Magic. She's already put Professor Trelawney and Ms. Izumi on probation."

"You mean, Dolores Umbridge, the High Inquisitor?" Pinako asked.

"How did --?" Winry started.

"I get the _Daily Prophet_," Pinako interrupted. "I want to see what's going on in the wizarding world while you, Edward, and Alphonse are there. How is Edward liking sixth year?"

"He won't know until next year," Winry answered. "He's been held back because he didn't take the O.W.L. exams, even though he was exempt from it."

"That figures," Pinako grumbled. "Maybe Edward should just quit school and return to the military."

"He wants to, Granny, but he can't," Winry replied. "The Fuhrer has put him on probation until he graduates."

"He'll be nineteen before he graduates," Pinako said. "It sounds like Fuhrer Bradley is up to something."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Winry scoffed. "But I wonder what he could be up to."

"I don't know, Winry," Pinako said. "Has Edward received anything from Colonel Mustang or anybody from the Military lately?"

"No, he can't have contact because the mail is being watched," Winry answered. "The military doesn't want to risk anything."

"Understandable," Pinako agreed.

While Winry and Pinako talked some more, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were talking in Harry and Ron's room.

"That dream I had about your dad and the snake, though --" Harry started.

"Harry, you've had these dreams before," Hermione interrupted. "You had flashes of what Voldemort was up to last year."

"This was different," Harry disagreed, shaking his head. "I was inside that snake. It was like I _was_ the snake…What if Voldemort somehow transported me to London --?"

"One day," Hermione sighed angrily, "you'll read _Hogwarts, A History_, and perhaps that will remind you that you can't Apparate or Disapparate inside Hogwarts! Even Voldemort couldn't just make you fly out of your dormitory, Harry."

"You didn't leave your bed, mate," Ron reminded Harry. "You were thrashing around in your sleep about a minute before we could wake you up…"

Harry paced up and down the room, thinking. What they were all saying was not only comforting, it made sense… Without really thinking, he took a sandwich from the plate on one of the beds and crammed it hungrily into his mouth. Then he swallowed a moment later and looked at Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

"Where are Ed, Al, and Winry?" Harry asked. "I thought that Dumbledore would have them come too?"

"Well, Professor Dumbledore thought it would be best if they went back home for the holidays with Professor Curtis so they could relax," Hermione answered.

"But isn't it safer here?" Ron asked.

"Maybe, but Professor Dumbledore has his reasons," Hermione reasoned.

"Do you think Professor Curtis got her results yet?" Ron asked. "She hasn't really told us anything like Professor Trelawney."

"I think Professor Curtis is more professional than that old fraud and can handle her results better," Hermione stated. "Besides, it's none of our business."

Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked at each other. They knew that Hermione was just as curious as they were but was trying not to show it.

Christmas came and went and the time for school to begin came up. McGonagall gave Izumi and Ed and Al their own Portkey and went to pick Winry up personally. Izumi was transported to her quarters as Ed and Al were transported to Gryffindor common room. Ed and Al took their trunks to their dormitory and by the time they had come back down to the common room, they saw Winry and McGonagall. McGonagall magicked Winry's trunk up to Winry's common room and then left. Ed, Al, and Winry went to a table by the window and sat down.

"How was your holiday with Ms. Izumi?" Winry asked.

"Hell," Ed answered.

"How was it 'hell'?" Winry asked.

"Teacher made us train every morning before breakfast, and then she made us work on our holiday homework," Al replied. "She told Ed that he was getting too lazy and flabby."

Winry looked at Ed. Ed didn't reply.

"Ed?" Winry asked.

"What?" Ed snapped.

"You don't have to gripe at me, Ed," Winry snapped back. "I'm not the one who called you flabby!"

"Oh yeah, what about before school started up again?" Ed asked. "You called me flabby then!"

"I was joking!" Winry defended.

"That's a likely story!" Ed accused. "Then how else would Teacher know?!"

"Know what?" Winry demanded.

Ed's face grew red.

"You know damn well enough," Ed snarled.

Then Ed stomped up to the fifth year boys' dormitory. A moment later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came to Al and Winry.

"That asshole!" Winry burst out.

Then she went up to the sixth year girls' dormitory.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"Brother and Winry got into a fight," Al answered as Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat at the table.

"What was it about this time?" Harry asked.

"It's none of our business," Hermione said.

"Brother wouldn't want me to tell you," Al replied. "He would be even angrier if I did."

"Ed is always angry," Ron pointed out.

A moment later, they saw Winry come out from the girls' dormitories and go to the boys' dormitory. Winry climbed the stairs to the boys' dormitory and entered the fifth year boys' dormitory. Ed was laying face down on his bed.

"What do you want?" Ed asked.

Winry crossed her arms.

"You need to stop being a big baby, Ed," Winry replied.

"I'm not being a baby," Ed whined.

"You are too, Edward," Winry said.

"You would be a baby too if someone called _you_ fat, Winry," Ed pointed out.

"No, I wouldn't," Winry disagreed. "I would kick their asses."

"I tried," Ed said. "But Teacher beat me."

"Of course, Ed, Ms. Izumi _always_ beats you, and you know that," Winry said.

Ed didn't say anything.

"And you are not fat, Edward," Winry scowled. "If you were, I would have told you. Besides, we both get our 'exercise' when we make love."

Winry could see Ed's face go red.

"Ed, you don't have to be embarrassed," Winry said, sitting on the side of Ed's bed. "Let me braid your hair."

Ed looked sideways at her.

"Why?" Ed asked.

"Because your braid is messed up," Winry lied.

"No, it's not," Ed said. "I just braided it before we left Teacher's house."

"Just let me braid it!" Winry demanded.

Ed scowled and sat up on the bed.

"Fine," Ed relented. "Just don't pull any hair."

"I won't," Winry assured.

Ed didn't say anything. He took out his hair tie. Winry slowly ran her fingers through his hair as she got out the small tangles. Then Winry started braiding Ed's hair.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

"Where's Harry?" Ed asked the next evening.

He, Al, Winry, Ron, and Hermione were at the library working on their different assignments. Winry and Ed, of course, had made up and were acting as though they hadn't even argued. Hermione and Ron shared a glance and then looked at Ed.

"He's having Remedial --" Hermione started.

"Don't give me that bullshit line," Ed interrupted. "Snake doesn't give extra lessons. Hell, he doesn't even give Neville extra lessons."

"Very well," Hermione sighed. "Harry is having Occlumency lessons."

"What lessons?" Ed asked.

"It's to help Voldemort stay out of Harry's head," Hermione explained.

"Oh," Ed said. "So, what really happened? Did Mr. Weasley really get attacked?"

"Yeah, but he's okay though," Ron replied. "No one really knows how You-Know-Who got into Harry's head. It's a mystery."

"I'll bet you anything that Bumblebore knows exactly how Body-butt is getting into Harry's head," Ed assumed.

"If he does, then he has his reasons to not tell Harry," Hermione reasoned.

"But, Hermione, don't you think Harry should know?" Al asked. "Wouldn't you want to know?"

Hermione didn't say anything.

"He has a point, you know," Ron told Hermione.

Hermione glared at Ron.

"What?" Ron asked.

Hermione scowled and went to work on her homework.

"Did Professor Curtis tell you the results of her inspection?" Ron asked Ed and Al.

"She got put on probation," Al answered. "That's why she's really angry."

"Well, Teacher is always bitchy," Ed pointed out.

"Not all the…I guess you're right, Big Brother," Al agreed. "But Teacher is really angry at Professor Umbridge."

"Of course she is," Winry spoke up. "Professor Umbridge is a bitch. She probably knows nothing about Alchemy. Not to mention, Umbridge shouldn't be interrupting the people she's watching."

Before Hermione could respond, Harry came to the table. Harry's face was very white and his scar was showing up more clearly than usual.

"Harry, you look like shit," Ed commented. "You all right?"

Harry sat down.

"Yeah…fine…I dunno," Harry answered impatiently, wincing as pain shot through his scar. "Listen…I've just realized something…"

Then Harry told them about his dreams of the Department of Mysteries.

"I don't know, Harry," Ed said, leaning back in his chair. "It'd be kind of too risky, don't you think? Besides, I don't think Body-butt needs another weapon."

"But it makes sense," Hermione breathed. "Think about it….Sturgis Podmore was trying to get through a door at the Ministry of Magic…It must have been that one, it's too much of a coincidence!"

"How come Sturgis was trying to break in when he's on our side?" Ron asked.

"Well, I don't know," Hermione answered.

"He could have been possessed or something," Al suggested.

"You mean being put under the Imperius Curse?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Al replied.

"Well, that's possible," Hermione considered.

"Ron, what's in the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked Ron. "Has your dad ever mentioned anything about it?"

"The Department of Mysteries is where they do top secret stuff," Ed answered before Ron could, making everyone look at him. "The people who work there are called 'Unspeakables' since they aren't allowed to say what they're workin' on."

"How did you know that?" Ron asked.

Ed shrugged.

"I read," Ed answered. "It would be a good place to hide something, especially a weapon. Anyway, Harry, you really look like shit."

"I just don't like Occlumency that much," Harry explained.

"Well, anyone would feel bad if they'd had their minds invaded over and over," Winry reasoned.

"Winry is right," Hermione agreed. "It'll just take some getting used to. Let's go to the common room, we'll be a bit more comfortable there."

"You three go ahead, we'll stay here," Al said.

"All right," Hermione said.

Then she, Harry, and Ron went to the common room as Ed, Al, and Winry stayed in the library.

"Do you think we should have told them about the Headless Hats that Fred and George just completed?" Winry asked.

"Nah," Ed brushed off. "They'll find out."

"Do you think Harry will be okay?" Winry asked.

"He'll be fine," Ed said. "Besides, he's got Hermione to mommy him, so you don't have to worry."

Winry frowned at him. The next morning at breakfast, Hermione gave a yelp after she got her Daily Prophet.

"What's wrong?" Al asked.

For an answer, Hermione spread the newspaper on the table in front of them and pointed at ten black-and-white photographs that filled the whole of the front page, nine showing wizards' faces and the tenth, a witch's. Some of the people in the photographs were jeering silently; others were tapping their fingers on the frame of their pictures, looking insolent. Each picture was captioned with a name and the crime for which the person had been sent to Azkaban.

"HOLY SHIT!" Ed swore.

Hermione and Winry shushed him. Ed read the article as did Al, Winry, Hermione, Ron, and Harry.

**MASS BREKOUT FROM AZKABAN**

**MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS "RALLYING POINT"**

**FOR OLD DEATH EATERS**

The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has

Been a mass breakout from Azkaban.

Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge,

Minister of Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners

Escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening, and that he has

Already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous

Nature of these individuals.

"We find ourselves, most unfortunately, in the same position we

Were two-and-a-half years ago when the murderer Sirius Black

Escaped," Fudge said last night. "Nor do we think the two

Breakouts are unrelated. An escape of this magnitude suggests

Outside help, and we must remember that Black, as the first

Person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally placed

To help others follow in his footsteps. We think it likely that

These individuals, who include Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange,

Have rallied around Black as their leader. We are, however,

Doing all we can to round up the criminals and beg the magical

Community to remain alert and cautious. On no account

Should any of these individuals be approached."

"There you are, Harry," Ron said, looking awestruck. "That's why he was happy last night…"

"I don't believe this," Harry snarled. "Fudge is blaming the breakout on _Sirius_?"

"Of course he is, Harry," Ed reasoned, before Hermione could say anything. "Chocolate has no other choice if he wants to stay in office. He's not going to say that Bumblebore warned him that the dementoids would go to Bodel-butt."

"They are called _dementors_," Hermione corrected.

"Whatever," Ed brushed off.

"And it is _Dumbledore_!" Hermione corrected more vehemently.

"Whatever," Ed brushed off again. "Anyway, Chocolate has just spent the past six months telling everyone that you, Bumblebore, and I are liars, Harry."

"_Dumbledore!_" Hermione corrected again.

"Will you _shut up_ with the correcting?" Ed snapped at Hermione. "If I want to call them something else, I will! There is nothing you can do about it!"

Hermione gaped at Ed and then turned red in anger and grabbed the paper and ripped it open and started to read the story inside. Harry, Ron, Ed, Al, and Winry looked around at the students and then up at the staff table. Dumbledore and McGonagall were deep in conversation, both looking extremely grave. Professor Sprout had the _Prophet_ propped against a bottle of ketchup and was reading the front page with such concentration that she was not noticing the gentle drip of egg yolk falling into her lap from her stationary spoon. Izumi had a frown on her face as Umbridge was tucking into a bowl of porridge, scowling as she shot malevolent glances towards Dumbledore and McGonagall.

As Hermione told Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, and Ron about Broderick Bode being discovered dead in his bed at St. Mungo's Hospital, Izumi rose from her seat. Dumbledore looked at her.

"What is it, Izumi?" Dumbledore asked.

"I need to talk to my students," Izumi answered. "And Miss Rockbell."

"I see," Dumbledore said.

Then Izumi left the table and went to where Harry, Ron, Ed, Al, and Winry were as Hermione had just left. They all looked at Izumi.

"Teacher," Ed said, "anything wrong?"

"Edward, you, Alphonse, and Winry need to come with me to my office immediately, do you understand?" Izumi stated.

"Yes, Ma'am," Winry said.

Then she, Ed, Al, and Izumi went on their way to Izumi's office. Izumi shut the door behind herself once they were all in her office. Izumi went to her desk and stood behind it with her arms crossed.

"What's wrong?" Al asked.

"You should be expecting either a court-martial or a letter, Edward, requesting your return to Central City," Izumi informed.

"Why do you say that?" Ed asked.

"Because I hardly think that Fuhrer Bradley will stay in the dark any longer," Izumi answered. "I think he will find out about the massive breakout and Voldemort coming back."

"Do you think Brother will get into trouble?" Al asked.

"I don't know, Alphonse," Izumi replied.

"Granny thinks that the Fuhrer may be up to something," Winry spoke up.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he is," Izumi agreed.

"I don't care if Fuhrer Bradley wants to punish me," Ed scowled crossing his arms. "I was just following orders from Colonel Idiot."

"I know that, Edward, but you need to be prepared for it," Izumi cautioned.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed waved off. "I'll be fine."

Not only were Divination and Care of Magical Creatures being surveyed by Umbridge, or Professor Toad Bitch in Ed's words, so was Alchemy class. But unlike Trelawney or Hagrid, Izumi completely ignored Umbridge and taught class as usual. Izumi also ignored the new decree that was put in place the morning after the news of the big Azkaban breakout made news.

**-------------BY ORDER OF------------**

**The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts**

**Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any**

**Information that is not strictly related to the subject **

**They are paid to teach.**

_**The above is in accordance with**_

_**Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six**_

**Signed:**

_**Dolores Jane Umbridge**_

**HIGH INQUISITOR**

"This whole thing is ridiculous," Izumi told Ed and Al after class one day.

Umbridge had already left and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had went ahead to lunch. Ed and Al stayed behind to talk with Izumi.

"I know," Ed agreed.

"Did you get anything from Fuhrer Bradley yet?" Izumi asked.

"No, I didn't," Ed answered. "I thought I would have gotten something by now."

"Maybe he doesn't know," Al suggested.

"Maybe," Izumi considered. "You two should go to lunch."

Ed and Al nodded and went to the Great Hall.

**Author's Note:** I hope you liked these chapters! Review please!


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait! Turns out, I didn't get my toes done since the doctor here wouldn't accept a payment plan since I don't have health insurance. I would have had to pay 500 - 600 dollars for the whole she-bang up front! So, I told them to forget about the appointment. I would get a job, but no one around here will hire me. Trust me, I've already tried a hundred times. Well, anyway, enough of that. I hope you all like these chapters.

**Chapter Twenty-One**

January passed and February arrived. Ed's birthday came and went and before anyone knew it, the Hogsmeade weekend was near. Harry would be going with Cho while Ron and Ginny had to stay behind for Quidditch practice. Al would be staying behind so he would be able to work on his O.W.L. homework. Hermione turned to Harry and Ed after she got an owl on Valentine's day morning.

"Listen, Edward, Harry," Hermione started, looking at Ed and Harry. "This is really important… Do you think you could meet me in the Three Broomsticks around midday?"

"Why?" Ed asked suspiciously.

"I dunno," Harry answered Hermione. "Cho might be expecting me to spend the whole day with her. We never said what we were going to do."

"She might want to make out with you," Ed snickered. "That's what -- OW! Damn it, Winry! I was only --!"

Winry had hit Ed on the head with one of the wrenches that he had got for her for Christmas.

"Bring Cho along if you must," Hermione told Harry urgently. "But will you come?"

"You didn't say what for," Ed grumbled.

Hermione looked at Ed.

"I haven't got time to tell you now, I've got to answer this quickly," Hermione answered.

"I guess I'll come," Harry replied.

"I suppose so," Ed grumbled.

"Great," Hermione said.

Then she left the Great Hall.

"She's acting strange," Al commented.

"Sure is," Ed agreed.

"Well, I've got to get back to the common room," Al said.

He drank the rest of his coffee and stood up. Al was wearing a green long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He also had on a pair of sneakers.

"Have a good time at Hogsmeade, Brother," Al bade.

Then Al went back to the Gryffindor common room. Ed finished his breakfast and stood.

"Come on, Winry," Ed said. "Time's a-wastin'."

Winry stood and left with Ed. A few minutes later, Harry and Cho were walking to Hogsmeade a few feet behind Ed and Winry.

"They look sweet together," Cho commented.

Harry didn't say anything as he looked at Ed and Winry. Winry was saying something to Ed, and Ed had his arms crossed as he had a scowl on his face.

"Don't you think so?" Cho asked.

"They always argue," Harry finally replied. "You should hear them. They're like Ron and Hermione."

"That's just their way of showing affection towards each other," Cho explained to a clueless Harry.

'_If you say so,'_ Harry thought.

Ed and Winry entered Hogsmeade about ten minutes later, Harry and Cho behind them. A moment later Winry was dragging a protesting Ed into the Madam Puddifoot's coffee shop.

"Winry!" Ed protested. "LET ME GO!"

"No!" Winry snapped. "You are coming in here with me!"

"NO!!!!!!" Ed yelled.

But Winry pulled Ed in and made him sit at a table. Ed slouched in his seat and crossed his arms. Madam Puddifoot went to Ed and Winry.

"What can I get you dears?" Madam Puddifoot asked.

"Beer," Ed remarked, dryly.

"Edward," Winry scolded, then turning to a chuckling Madam Puddifoot, "We'll have coffee."

Then Madam Puddifoot left.

"If you think we're makin' out here, then you're mistaken," Ed told Winry in a low voice.

"I don't want to make out _here_," Winry scoffed. "I just want to have a coffee."

"We can have coffee back at Hogwarts," Ed retorted. "This is a make-out place."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Winry scoffed.

"Look around, Winry," Ed said. "Everyone's suckin' faces."

Winry looked around and turned red as she saw classmates making out.

"Well, we already ordered coffee, so tough luck," Winry stated.

As Madam Puddifoot came with their coffees, Harry and Cho came into the shop. Winry thanked Madam Puddifoot as Ed took a drink of his coffee.

"Not bad," Ed commented. "Although a bit of cognac in it wouldn't hurt."

"You're too young to be drinking," Winry scolded.

"The drinking age in Amestris is sixteen," Ed told Winry.

"How did you know that?" Winry asked.

"Sig told me and Al," Ed answered. "He let us have some beer. Al didn't like the taste though."

"Can you hold your alcohol?" Winry asked.

"Yeah, I can hold it okay," Ed replied. "Why?"

Winry shook her head and leaned forward, putting her elbows onto the table and putting her chin on her clasped fingers. Ed blushed as Winry smiled at him.

"What?" Ed asked.

"Nothing," Winry answered. "I just like having dates with you, that's all."

Ed's face turned even more red as he looked away.

"You mean forcin' me to come to this place," Ed muttered.

Winry chuckled.

"You know, Ed," Winry started, "you'll appreciate dates more when we're older."

"I'm seventeen, don't you think that's older?" Ed asked, looking back at Winry.

"I mean when we're in our twenties, Edward," Winry clarified, folding her arms onto the table and gripping her coffee cup.

Ed took a drink of his coffee.

"I might be busy with the military then, Winry," Ed said, putting his coffee cup down.

"Are you still planning to stay with the military then?" Winry wanted to know.

"I don't know, Winry," Ed replied. "I mean, there's nothing else I could do, is there? Besides, Al wants me to get my arm and leg back. He feels bad for not being able to recover them along with his body."

"But it's not his fault," Winry reasoned. "And besides, your auto-mail saved your life last year during the first task."

"That's true," Ed agreed, then laughing.

"What's so funny?" Winry asked.

"I was just rememberin' how everybody was freakin' out," Ed said, chuckling. "They all thought that I was some sort of alien or something since my shoulder didn't gush out blood or anything."

"They also stared after it was revealed that you have auto-mail," Winry pointed out. "I know that it's inconvenient sometimes, but don't you think it would be better to keep your auto-mail and to quit the military?"

"What else could I do?" Ed asked.

"Work here," Winry suggested. "You could be an Auror. You're good in stealth and almost everything else. And I could be a Healer specializing in making Auto-mail for people who have lost their limbs."

"What about the people back in Amestris, Winry?" Ed asked. "Especially in Resembool? Granny isn't gonna live forever."

"I know," Winry said, looking down at her hands.

Ed grabbed hold of Winry's hands and Winry looked up at Ed.

"Winry, your hands are for helping people," Ed said. "Whatever we chose to do, you have to help people, okay?"

Winry smiled at Ed. Winry kissed Ed full on the lips. Ed blushed, his eyes widening, then closed his eyes and returned the kiss full force. It was then that Harry looked over at them.

'_Oh, great, even they're kissing,'_ Harry thought, frowning. _'And here I thought that Ed wasn't for showing his feelings in public.'_

A moment later, Cho told Harry that Roger Davies (who was making out with his girlfriend at the table next to them) had asked her out a couple of weeks back but had turned him down. Then Cho told Harry about going to the coffee shop with Cedric the year before.

"I've been meaning to ask you for ages," Cho started, her voice high. "Did Cedric -- did he m-m-mention me at all before he died?"

This was the very last subject on earth Harry wanted to discuss, and least of all with Cho.

"Well -- no--," Harry replied quietly. "There -- there wasn't time for him to say anything. Erm…so…d'you…d'you get to see a lot of Quidditch in the holidays? You support the Tornadoes, right?"

But it was no use, Cho was starting to cry. Ed and Winry stopped kissing and let go of each other's hands, blushing. They looked at Harry and Cho.

"Look," Harry said desperately to Cho, leaning in so that nobody else could overhear, "let's not talk about Cedric right now…Let's talk about something else…"

Ed and Winry, who could still hear Harry, both winced. Harry had said the wrong thing.

"I thought," Cho cried, tears spattering down onto the table. "I thought _you'd _u-u-understand! I _need_ to talk about it! Surely you n-need to talk about it t-too! I mean, you saw it happen, d-didn't you?"

"Well -- I have talked about it," Harry whispered, "to Ron and Hermione and --"

"Oh, you'll talk to Hermione Granger!" Cho shrilled. "But you won't talk to me! I bet Edward talked to Winry about it since they're an item! P-perhaps it would be best if we just…just p-paid and you went and met up with Hermione G-Granger, like you obviously want to!"

Ed and Winry felt too embarrassed to stay any longer, so Ed put a Galleon onto the table and left with Winry. They hurried to the Three Broomsticks and went inside. They went to the table where Hermione was sitting with two unlikely people: Luna Lovegood and none other than Rita Skeeter, ex-journalist on the _Daily Prophet_ and one of Hermione's least favorite people in the world.

"You're early!" Hermione exclaimed. "I thought you would be longer!"

"Yeah, well," Ed said, sitting down.

Winry sat down as well.

"So, if it isn't the wonder couple," Rita Skeeter remarked. "How is it with the military, Edward? Are you having fun being a spy?"

"Can it, Roach," Ed snapped.

Then Harry came over a few minutes later. Harry sat down by Hermione. After talking about Cho, Rita brought about how Harry might have been feeling about the _Daily Prophet _writing trash about him.

"He feels angry, of course," Hermione snapped. "Because he and Edward have told the Minister of Magic the truth and the Minister's too much of an idiot to believe them."

"So, you both actually stick to it, do you," Rita asked, lowering her glass and subjecting Ed and Harry to a piercing stare while her finger strayed longingly to the clasp of the crocodile bag, "that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back? You stand by all this garbage Dumbledore's been telling everybody about You-Know-Who returning and you being the only witnesses --?"

"We weren't the only witnesses, roach," Ed snarled. "There were a dozen or so Death Eaters there as well. I can give you their names."

"I'd love to hear them," Rita breathed, now fumbling in her bag.

She recited the beginning of an article she had in mind and then stopped talking a moment later with the Quick-Quotes quill in her hand. Rita then looked at Hermione.

"But of course," Rita said, lowering her quill as she glared daggers at Hermione, "Little Miss Perfect wouldn't want that story out there, would she?"

"As a matter of fact," Hermione said sweetly, "that's exactly what Little Miss Perfect _does_ want."

"You _want _me to report what they say about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Rita asked Hermione in a hushed voice.

"Yes, I do," Hermione answered. "The true story. All the facts. Exactly as Harry and Edward report them. They will give you all the details, they will tell you the names of the undiscovered Death Eaters they saw there, they'll tell you what Voldemort looks like now -- oh, get a grip on yourself," she added contemptuously, throwing a napkin across the table, for at the sound of Voldemort's name, Rita had jumped so badly that she had slopped half her glass of fire whiskey down herself.

Rita blotted the front of her grubbly raincoat, still staring at Hermione.

"The _Prophet_ wouldn't print it," Rita said boldly. "In case you haven't noticed, nobody believes their cock-and-bull story. Everyone thinks they're delusional. Now, if you let me write the story from that angle --"

"We don't need anymore stories about how Edward and Harry are going crazy!" Winry snapped. "Just because Cornelius Fudge is leaning on the _Daily Prophet_, it doesn't mean that you always need to write like that! The truth needs to be revealed!"

"The _Daily Prophet _doesn't care about the truth, you silly girl," Rita said coldly. "It exists to sell itself."

"My dad thinks it's an awful paper," Luna chipped in. "He publishes important stories that he thinks the public needs to know. He doesn't care about making money."

Rita looked disparagingly at Luna.

"I'm guessing your father runs some stupid little village newsletter?" Rita asked. "Like 'Twenty-Five Ways to Mingle with Muggles' and the dates of the next Bring-and-Fly Sale?"

"No," Luna answered. "He's the editor of _The Quibbler_."

"I could manure my garden with the contents of that rag," Rita snorted.

"Well, this is your chance to raise the tone of it a bit, isn't it?" Hermione asked Rita pleasantly. "Luna says her father's quite happy to take Edward and Harry's interview. That's who'll be publishing it."

Rita burst out in laughter.

"_The Quibbler_!" Rita cackled. "You think people will take them seriously if they're published in _The Quibbler_?"

"Some people won't," Hermione replied in a level voice. "But the _Daily Prophet's_ version of the Azkaban breakout had some gaping holes in it. I think a lot of people will be wondering whether there isn't a better explanation of what happened, and if there's an alternative story available, even if it is published in an _unusual_ magazine, I think they might be rather keen to read it."

"All right, let's say for a moment I'll do it," Rita supposed. "What kind of fee am I going to get?"

"I don't think Daddy exactly pays people to write for the magazine," Luna said. "They do it because it's an honor, and, of course, to see their names in print."

Rita looked appalled.

"I'm supposed to do this _for free_?" Rita rounded on Hermione.

"Well, yes," Hermione answered, taking a sip of her drink. "Otherwise, as you very well know, I will inform the authorities that you are an unregistered Animagus. Of course, the _Prophet_ might give you rather a lot for an insider's account of life in Azkaban…"

Ed snickered.

"I don't suppose I've got any choice, have I?" Rita asked, her voice shaking slightly.

She opened her crocodile bag once more, withdrew a piece of parchment, and raised her Quick-Quotes Quill.

"Daddy will be pleased," Luna said brightly.

"Okay, Harry, Edward?" Hermione asked, turning to Ed and Harry. "Ready to tell the public the truth?"

"I suppose," Harry answered.

"That magazine isn't published in Amestris, is it?" Ed asked.

"Only in the rural areas," Luna reassured. "Your Fuhrer won't get a hold of one."

"Go ahead, Edward," Winry encouraged. "People need to know from you as well."

"I guess," Ed relented.

"Fire away, then, Rita," Hermione said serenely, fishing a cherry out of the bottom of her glass.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Luna said vaguely that she did not know how soon Rita's interview with Ed and Harry would appear in _The Quibbler_, that her father was expecting a lovely long article on recent sightings of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

"And, of course, that'll be a very important story, so Ed and Harry's might have to wait for the following issue," Luna told them.

Ed and Harry had not found it an easy experience to talk about the night when Voldemort had returned. Rita had pressed them for every little detail, and they had given her everything they could remember, knowing that this was their one big opportunity to tell the world the truth. Harry wondered how people would react to the story and guessed that it would confirm a lot of people in the view that he and Ed were completely insane, not least because his and Ed's story would be appearing alongside utter rubbish about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

"Can't wait to see what Umbridge thinks of you going public," Dean said, awestruck at dinner on Monday night.

"It's the right thing to do, Harry, Ed," Neville approved. "It must have been…tough… talking about it…Was it?"

"Yeah, but people have got to know what Voldemort's capable of, haven't they?" Harry replied.

"That's right," Neville agreed. "And his Death Eaters too… People should know…"

A few moments later, Neville, Dean, and Seamus went up to the Gryffindor common room. Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al, and Winry were waiting for Ron to come from Quidditch practice. Cho Chang walked into the hall with her friend Marietta.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you," Hermione said brightly, glancing over at the Ravenclaw table, "what happened on your date with Cho? How come you were back so early?"

Ed, Al, and Winry looked at Harry.

"Er…well, it was…," Harry started, pulling a dish of rhubarb crumble towards him and helping himself to seconds, "a complete fiasco, now you mention it."

Harry told Ed, Al, Winry, and Hermione of what had happened in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.

"…so then," Harry finished several minutes later, "she jumps up, right, and says 'I'll see you around, Harry,' and runs out of the place! I mean, what was all that about? What was going on?"

"You were completely tactless, Harry," Winry said before Hermione could say anything.

"_Me_, tactless?" Harry raged. "One minute we were getting on fine, next minute she was telling me that Roger Davies asked her out, and how she used to go and snog Cedric in the stupid tea shop -- how was I supposed to feel about that?"

"Well, Harry," Winry went on, "you shouldn't have brought up Hermione like that. You should have just said that Hermione forced you to go to the Three Broomsticks. And besides, she misses Cedric. She still feels guilty, and you hurt her feelings when you said you were going to meet Hermione. She was just testing you."

"Is that what she was doing?" Harry asked as Ron sat down and started to pull every food platter towards him. "Well, wouldn't it have been easier if she'd just asked me whether I liked her better than Hermione?"

"Not every girl asks questions like that," Winry explained.

"Winry is right," Hermione agreed.

"Well, they should!" Harry protested. "Then I could've just told her that I fancy her, and she wouldn't have had to get herself all worked up again about Cedric dying!"

"She's only human, Harry," Al said. "She couldn't help it."

"You also shoulda said that Hermione's ugly," Ed remarked.

Harry gaped at Ed.

"What?" Ed asked.

"That's an awful thing to say!" Harry said.

"He's right, Harry, it would've probably worked," Hermione agreed with Ed.

"But you're not ugly," Harry said.

"You're hopeless," Hermione said as Ron came over and sat down.

"You all should just write a book translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them," Ron suggested, having heard the end of the discussion.

"No two girls are the same," Winry huffed.

"That's true," Ginny said, sitting down as well.

"So," Harry started, rather depressed, "how was Quidditch practice?"

"It was a nightmare," Ron admitted.

"It couldn't have been --" Al started.

"Yes, it was," Ginny insisted. "It was appalling. Angelina was nearly in tears by the end of it."

Ron and Ginny went off for baths after dinner. Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, and Hermione returned to the Gryffindor common room and their usual pile of homework. Harry had been struggling with a new star chart for Astronomy for half an hour when Fred and George turned up.

"Ron and Ginny not here?" Fred asked, looking around as he pulled up a chair.

"No," Al answered. "They've gone to take baths."

"Good," Fred said, shooing Pegasus away and receiving a hiss from the angry cat. "We were watching their practice. They're going to be slaughtered. They're complete rubbish without us."

"Come on, Ginny's not bad," George reasoned, sitting down next to Fred. "Actually, I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us…"

"She's been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren't looking," Hermione said from behind her tottering pile of Ancient Rune books.

"Oh, well, that'd explain it," George said, looking impressed.

"Has Ron saved a goal yet?" Al asked.

"Well, he can do it if he doesn't think anyone's watching him," Fred remarked, rolling his eyes. "So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up his end on Saturday."

Ed snickered. The Quidditch match on Saturday was only twenty-two minutes, but it seemed like hours. Gryffindor lost, of course, but Ginny was able to catch the snitch. On Monday morning, Ed, Al, and Winry got to the Great Hall before Harry, Ron, and Hermione did. When the latter did come into the Great Hall, it was right when the post owls came. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat by Ed, Al, and Winry. Hermione got her copy of the _Daily Prophet_. As she read it, owls came swarming to them all and landed on the table. Harry and Ed were shocked with all of the letters they've received.

"What's going on?" Al asked.

"Harry, Edward!" Hermione breathed, plunging her hands into the feathery mass and pulling out a screech owl bearing two long, cylindrical packages. "I think I know what this means! Open these first!"

Harry and Ed both got a package and ripped open the brown packaging. Out rolled were tightly rolled up copies of March's edition of _The Quibbler_. They unrolled their copies and looked to themselves on the cover. Picture Ed was straightening his red coat and smirking as Picture Harry was grinning sheepishly. In large red letters across their picture were the words:

_**EDWARD ELRIC AND HARRY POTTER SPEAK OUT AT LAST:**_

_**THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED**_

_**AND THE NIGHT WE SAW HIM RETURN**_

"It's good, isn't it?" Luna asked, who had drifted over to the Gryffindor able and now squeezed herself onto the bench between Fred and Ron. "It came out yesterday. I asked Dad to send you free copies. I expect all these," she waved a hand at the assembled owls still scrabbling on the table in front of Harry and Ed, "are letters from readers."

"Brother, can we --?" Al started.

"Go ahead," Ed said.

Fred, George, Hermione, Ron, Al, and Winry had started to rip open envelopes.

"This one's from a bloke who thinks you're off your rockers," Ron said, glancing down at his letter. "Ah well…"

A moment later, George spoke up.

"Hey, Ed, you've got an official looking letter," George spoke up. "It was on Owl."

George gave the letter to Ed. Ed then gave it to Al.

"You open it," Ed said.

"Why me?" Al asked.

"Because I told you to," Ed answered.

"You always have me do your dirty work!" Al protested.

"I do not!" Ed retorted.

"You do too!" Al insisted.

"Oh, I'll open it!" Winry snapped, yanking the envelope from Al's grasp.

Everyone gaped at her as she tore open the envelope and took out the letter. She read it and then gave it to Ed.

"I've been court-martialed, haven't I?" Ed asked.

"Just read for yourself," Winry ordered.

Ed winced and read the letter.

"WHAT?!" Ed asked in surprise.

"What is it?" everyone but Winry asked.

"I've been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel," Ed answered.

Before anyone could say anything, a falsely sweet, girlish voice spoke up. Everyone looked to see that it was…

'_Toad bitch,'_ Ed thought.

"What is going on here?" Umbridge asked. "Why have you got all of these letters, Mr. Potter, Mr. Elric?"

"Is that a crime now?" Fred asked loudly.

"Be careful, Mr. Weasley, or I shall have to put you in detention," Umbridge warned, then looking back at Ed and Harry. "Well?"

"People have written to us because we gave an interview about what happened last June," Ed answered.

"An interview?" Umbridge repeated, her voice thinner and higher. "What do you mean?"

"A reporter asked us questions and we answered them," Harry explained, throwing his copy of _The Quibbler_ to Umbridge. "Here."

"When did you do this?" Umbridge asked.

"Last Hogsmeade weekend," Al answered.

"There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Elric," Umbridge said, looking at Ed and Harry once again. "How you dare…how you could…" She took a deep breath. "I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies, Mr. Potter. The message, apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points each from Gryffindor and another week's worth of detention."

"Just because they decided to express their freedom of speech?" a voice behind Umbridge asked.

Umbridge turned to see that it was an angry Izumi with her arms crossed over her chest.

"They are spreading lies, Professor Curtis," Umbridge accused. "That hardly counts as freedom of speech. And you should not interfere in matters you don't understand."

"Matters I don't understand?" Izumi asked. "I clearly understand that you do not want anybody to have their own opinions or anything these students want to express heard. That is exactly the type of government that no one needs, especially in a school."

"Children, especially unruly children, should be seen and not heard," Umbridge said.

What happened next caused the whole room to fall completely silent and everyone at the staff table to stand up from their seats in shock. Izumi slapped Umbridge right across the face with so much force, the sound of the slap reverberated around the quiet Hall.

"You just want to spread your prejudice everywhere," Izumi accused. "And I will not allow you to harm any of these children, directly or indirectly. Edward, Harry, you are not to go to the detentions."

Then Izumi left the Great Hall, every eye following as she did so.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Elric you _will_ come to your detentions," Umbridge said.

Then Umbridge clenched the magazine in her hand and then snatched the one from Ed and stalked off to her office. Then every student started to talk to each other. Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, and George looked at each other.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:** Thank you to Black and White Wolf for the ideas you have supplied to me. I couldn't have continued without them.

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

By midmorning, enormous signs had been put up all over the school, not just on House notice boards, but in the corridors and classrooms as well.

**-----------------BY ORDER OF---------------**

**The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts**

Any student found in possession of the magazine _The Quibbler_

Will be expelled.

_The above is in accordance with _

_Educational Decree Number Twenty-Seven_

**Signed**:

_**Dolores Jane Umbridge**_

**HIGH INQUISITOR**

Izumi had immediately tore down the sign once she saw it posted in her classroom. When Umbridge saw that Izumi didn't have a sign in her room on Wednesday and saw the torn parchment, she interrupted Izumi while Izumi was talking.

"Professor Curtis, where is the notice?" Umbridge interrupted Izumi.

"I tore it down," Izumi answered.

"Why?" Umbridge asked.

"Because I think it's ridiculous to expel a student for just reading a magazine," Izumi explained.

"You do realize, don't you, that your opinion does not matter?" Umbridge simpered.

"Then why did you ask me why I tore it down?" Izumi retorted.

Umbridge flushed in anger.

"As the --!" Umbridge started.

Izumi stomped to the doors, threw them open, and went to Umbridge. Izumi then picked up Umbridge and threw her out of the room, slamming the doors shut afterwards. Izumi dusted her hands off as she went back to the front of the room.

"Now," Izumi continued, "where was I?"

Hermione rose her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Izumi prompted.

"You were telling us about an alchemical match," Hermione reminded.

"Oh, yes, thank you," Izumi said. "Now, I believe that you should all be given the chance to see an alchemical fight."

"Who will fight?" Dean asked.

"Edward and Alphonse of course," Izumi answered.

Everyone looked at Ed and Al.

"Who said we'd do it?" Ed asked.

"I did," Izumi said. "Unless you'd rather have your classmates see me kicking your ass, Edward?"

Ed flushed in anger and embarrassment as everyone laughed.

"That sounds like a good idea!" Al chimed. "Brother and I haven't had practice fights in a long time! When will it be?"

"Today," Izumi answered. "Let us all go out to the courtyard."

"But it's cold!" Ed whined.

"GET OVER IT!" Izumi roared.

Ed winced. He and everyone else in the class stood from their seats and trooped out into the hallway, passed Umbridge, and went out into the courtyard a few moments later.

"Okay, everyone, stand far enough back to give Edward and Alphonse some room," Izumi instructed. "Edward, Alphonse, take your stances."

Ed and Al faced each other and took their stances.

"Ready to get your ass kicked, Al?" Ed asked.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Brother," Al said. "I'm going to kick your ass."

"Ready," Izumi said. "Begin!"

Then Ed and Al started to battle. As Ed transmuted a spear, Al transmuted a cage. Ed broke through it with the spear and then tossed the spear aside. They fought for a while longer using martial arts infused with alchemy. At one moment, Ed transmuted a fist to capture Al, but Al decomposed the fist. Finally, Al had transmuted a hole as Ed came lunging at him and stepped aside. Ed tripped and fell flat on his face.

"Winner, Alphonse!" Izumi said.

Ed groaned as Al offered his hand to Ed. Ed grabbed hold and let Al help him up.

"That was cheating, Al," Ed grumbled.

"All's fair in fighting, Brother," Al grinned.

"I'm gonna kick your ass one of these days," Ed threatened.

"You have to grow two more feet!" Al joked.

"I'M GONNA GET YOU!" Ed screamed as he started to chase a laughing Al.

Just then, Izumi drop-kicked Ed.

"Enough!" Izumi demanded.

Ed was on the ground again and groaning.

"Yes, Teacher," Ed groaned.

"Alphonse, help him up and take him to the hospital wing while I take everyone else back to class," Izumi instructed.

"Yes, Teacher," Al obeyed.

Then Izumi led the class back into the castle, Hermione, Ron, and Harry looking back to see Al helping Ed up again. Ed finally got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Thanks, Al," Ed said. "I'm gonna have to start trainin' again."

"Why?" Al asked.

"I'm getting rusty like Teacher said I am," Ed answered. "Come on, Al. Let's get something to eat, I'm starved."

"But Teacher said for me to help you get to the hospital wing!" Al protested.

"I don't need it," Ed waved off. "Teacher won't find out."

Al didn't say anything. Then Al looked towards the forest.

"What is it, Al?" Ed asked.

"There's someone in the forest," Al answered.

"Yeah, giant spiders and unicorns and other things," Ed said. "Nothing too important. Come on."

"But I hear someone," Al muttered.

"Maybe I should be the one taking _you_ to the hospital wing," Ed remarked.

"But I do!" Al insisted. "I really do!"

"Al, it's your imagination," Ed reasoned. "Come on, okay?"

Al sighed and nodded. Ed and Al went into the castle and went on their way to the kitchens.

At dinner that night, Ed, Al, and Winry sat down by Harry who was sitting by himself.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Al asked.

"You remember the other day when the article came out?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ed answered. "How could I forget?"

"I had a dream that night about Voldemort," Harry said.

"I heard about that from Hermione," Winry said. "It's not your fault that you can't block Voldemort from your dreams."

Harry looked up from his dinner and looked at Winry.

"Winry's right, Harry," Ed agreed. "Bumblebore and Snake know something you don't, Harry, and having Snake teach you this Occlu-whatever isn't gonna help unless you know what's going on."

"Well, tell that to Hermione," Harry grumbled.

"Hermione is a nice girl, but she's too pushy," Winry said. "Professor Snape is the wrong person to be teaching you since you both don't like each other. Professor Dumbledore should be the one teaching you."

"Yeah, but he's not," Harry grumbled.

"Don't worry, Harry," Al reassured. "I'm sure everything will work out."

Harry didn't say anything. That night, Harry went to bed early again, leaving his homework for another day. After getting undressed, Harry got his pajamas on and got into bed. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He was standing in a dark, curtained room lit by a single branch of candles. His hands were clenched on the back of a chair in front of him. They were long-fingered and white as though they had not seen sunlight for years and looked like large, pale spiders against the dark velvet of the chair. Beyond the chair, in a pool of light cast upon the floor by the candles, stood a man in a blue military uniform.

The man had a black eye patch over his left eye and black hair. He looked to be in his late forties to early fifties. He had his hands behind his back, and there was a sword at his hip.

"So, Fuhrer Bradley, what does your father have to say this time?" Harry asked, in a high, cold voice.

"He just wants to know if you are loyal to the plan," the man, Fuhrer Bradley, said.

"Of course, Fuhrer," Harry answered. "I am counting on your plan since that fool headmaster had the Stone destroyed."

"It wasn't destroyed," Bradley admitted.

"What?" Harry snapped, clenching onto the chair's back. "What do you mean?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore gave the Philosopher's Stone to Edward Elric so Edward would be able to restore his brother's body," Bradley answered. "It worked to say the least, but Father feels that Alphonse Elric now has a heightened awareness now than he did before the stupid transmutation. I asked Father about it, and he said that all will be told in due time. Alphonse heard Envy talking with Lust in the forest today."

"Really?" Harry asked, with an interested tone in his high, cold voice. "He would be a good asset to --"

"He's one of the sacrifices, so don't think about trying to have him in your group, it's Father's orders," Bradley said.

"What about their teacher?" Harry asked.

"Mrs. Curtis is a sacrifice as well, she's too strong-willed anyway," Bradley said. "Do what you want with them, but no harming them. I will give you an update later. For now, I've got to make sure that Colonel Mustang doesn't do anything stupid. Ever since we had Lieutenant Colonel Hughes killed for overhearing the plan, he has been making his own plans."

Then Fuhrer Bradley disappeared. Harry turned to the mirror on the wall, and once seeing the reflection of Voldemort, he automatically woke up screaming. He got tangled up in his bed curtains and fell on the floor and flailed around. Ed, who was coming up to put his books away, dropped his books and ran to Harry.

"Harry, calm down!" Ed demanded.

Then Ed wrenched off the bed curtains and helped Harry stand up.

"Is everything all right?" Ed asked. "You sound like you were bein' eaten by a spider or something."

"Your Fuhrer, he's with Voldemort," Harry said.

Ed blinked and then frowned.

"That's ridiculous, Harry," Ed scoffed. "What would he have to gain by being with Bodel-butt?"

"Do you know anyone named Envy or Lust?" Harry asked.

"No," Ed answered. "Aren't those two of the Seven Deadly Sins?"

"How did you know that if you're agnostic?" Harry asked.

Ed shrugged.

"Read it somewhere," Ed answered.

"Fuhrer Bradley said that you and Al and Professor Curtis were all sacrifices," Harry said, urgently. "He said that Al overheard--"

"All right, Harry, that's enough!" Ed snapped. "You're just being ridiculous! You don't even know what Fuhrer Bradley looks like!"

"Does he wear a blue uniform like Colonel Mustang, have black hair, a sword, and an eye patch covering his left eye?" Harry described.

Harry could tell by Ed's expression and his tension that Harry had indeed described Fuhrer Bradley. Then Ed turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Ron came in a moment later.

"What's wrong with Ed?" Ron asked.

"I had another dream," Harry said.

"What?!" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"That's twice this week!" Ron said.

"I know!" Harry snapped. "I just can't help it!"

"What was it this time?" Ron asked. "Was it about Dad or any --?"

"It was about the Fuhrer of Ed's country," Harry said. "The Fuhrer and the Fuhrer's dad are with Voldemort."

"_What?!_" Ron exclaimed.

"Yeah," Harry said, massaging his forehead.

"You've got to tell Dumbledore!" Ron said.

"No," Harry said. "He'll make me have extra lessons, and Hermione will just harp on me more."

"But --!" Ron started.

"No, I'll just have to try harder," Harry interrupted.

Meanwhile, Ed was heading to Izumi's office to tell her what Harry said until a sharp blow to the back of his head knocked Ed unconscious. Ed fell forward onto the floor and landed on his face. Blood trickled down onto the marble floor. The person who had injured Ed squatted down onto their haunches. They pulled Ed's braid and lifted his head up. Ed's eyes were slowly opening. Ed's vision was blurry and blotchy. So, when Ed saw the person having palm tree like hair and purple eyes, Ed attributed it to his bad vision from being knocked on the back of his head.

"Sorry, FullMetal Chibi," the person apologized, "but we can't have you knowing just yet. Father wants you to know on his time and not by the Pothead kid telling you."

"Don't…" Ed started. "Call… me…"

The person let go of Ed's braid and let Ed's face fall on the floor. Then the person stepped on Ed's head injury, making Ed scream. Ed felt as if his head was going to come off. Ed slowly blacked out as he watched the person walk away and turn into a student. A few minutes later, Ed was spotted by Professor McGonagall, who had heard Ed screaming from her office. She rushed to Ed and knelt by his side.

"Oh, dear me," McGonagall said. "I've got to inform Poppy and Albus…"

Then with a flick of her wand, she sent a message to Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Madam Pomfrey immediately came and got Ed to the hospital wing, McGonagall following after them after Vanishing the blood on the floor. Once in the hospital wing, Pomfrey lay Ed down on one of the beds. She looked at Ed's head wound and tsk-ed.

"His skull has been cracked it seems," Pomfrey analyzed.

"Will he be all right?" McGonagall asked.

"I'll be able to fix it, but I don't know how --" Pomfrey started.

Pomfrey was cut off by Dumbledore and Snape coming into the hospital wing.

"What happened?" Dumbledore asked.

"Edward has been attacked!" McGonagall said.

"Preposterous," Snape drawled.

"It's true, Albus, Severus," McGonagall insisted. "I heard him screaming all the way from my office!"

"Is he going to be all right, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'll be able to heal him, but we'll just have to wait until the morning," Pomfrey said as she tended to Ed. "I want to have him in here for the rest of the week to make sure he'll be all right."

"His Fuhrer will be furious," McGonagall said.

"That's if we decide to tell him," Snape drawled.

Pomfrey healed Ed's head and face injuries and magicked him into pajamas.

"I'll have Dobby take care of getting Edward's clothes clean," Dumbledore said, taking Ed's clothes from Pomfrey. "Dobby!"

With a crack!, Dobby appeared.

"Yes, Headmaster?" Dobby asked.

"Will you get Mr. Elric's clothes cleaned, Dobby?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"Yes, sir," Dobby said, taking Ed's clothes to wash.

With another crack!, Dobby disappeared. Dumbledore turned to Snape and McGonagall.

"Minerva, go inform Miss Rockbell and Alphonse," Dumbledore requested.

McGonagall nodded and done as told. Dumbledore turned to Pomfrey.

"Don't let anybody but Mr. Elric's friends and Alphonse and Professor Curtis see Edward," Dumbledore ordered. "By friends, I mean Mr. Potter, the Weasley children, Miss Granger, and Miss Rockbell."

"Yes, sir," Pomfrey said, nodding and then going to her office.

Dumbledore turned to Snape once again.

"Can you delve into his mind to see what had happened to him?" Dumbledore asked.

"Don't you think that would be dangerous, Headmaster?" Snape asked.

"Not if you're careful," Dumbledore cautioned.

Snape nodded and faced Ed. He drew out his wand and said, "_Legilimens!_"

Snape saw Ed making out with Winry and then some in the Room of Requirement and changed to where he saw Ed going into the common room and up to the fifth year boys' dormitory where Harry was flailing around. Snape saw Ed going to Harry after dropping his books and helping Harry out of the bed curtains. Then everything went black. Snape got out of Ed's mind.

"Well, Severus, what have you seen?" Dumbledore asked.

"He needs neutering," Snape drawled.

Dumbledore smiled.

"Edward is just a normal seventeen year old boy, Severus," Dumbledore said. "Did you see anything else?"

"Not much," Snape answered. "He went into the fifth year boys' dormitory and saw Mr. Potter flailing around in the bed curtains. It went blank after that. In order for me to get the memories, I would have to delve deeper, but he would be of no use to anyone then."

"I see," Dumbledore said, no longer smiling. "Somebody didn't want him to know something. Go get Harry. Take him to my office so I can question him."

"Yes, sir," Snape answered.

Snape left the hospital wing and went to get Harry. Dumbledore looked at the passed out/sleeping Ed.

"What did Mr. Potter tell you, Edward?" Dumbledore asked.

Then Dumbledore left the hospital wing. When Dumbledore got back to his office, he saw Harry sitting in one of the seats in front of his desk. Dumbledore went behind his desk and sat down.

"Is Ed okay?" Harry asked.

"He's going to be fine," Dumbledore said. "Do not worry. Though, I want to know why you haven't been practicing Occlumency."

"I've been trying, Professor!" Harry protested. "I'm not _trying_ to dream about Voldemort or what he does!"

"Calm down, Harry," Dumbledore said. "Professor Snape was trying to see into Edward's mind, but all he saw was Edward going into the boys' dormitory and helping you get free of the bed curtains. What did you tell him, Harry?"

"Hem, hem," a voice said.

Dumbledore looked up and Harry turned around to see…

"What are you doing up at this time, Professor Umbridge?" Dumbledore asked.

"I was told that there were students out of bed," Umbridge said.

"Yes, on my authority, Dolores," Dumbledore said.

"Well, I'll just take Mr. Potter back to bed, shall I?" Umbridge asked. "Mr. Potter surely needs his rest for classes tomorrow."

Dumbledore didn't say anything. Then…

"All right, Dolores," Dumbledore finally said. "You may take him back to bed. But I would like to see you in the morning."

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

Then Harry stood and went with Umbridge, angry that Dumbledore was letting Umbridge keep him from telling what he had seen. Instead of taking Harry back to Gryffindor Tower, Umbridge took Harry to an empty classroom and shut the door behind them.

"What are we doing in here, Professor?" Harry asked.

Umbridge went to the front of the class and looked back at Harry across the dark room. Then Umbridge transformed into the person with the palm tree hair.

"You can come out, Lust," the person called out.

The person called Lust came out of the shadows and stood by the person who called Lust's name. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. The person named Lust was a woman with long, wavy black hair, purple eyes, and had a revealing black dress with black gloves. She had a tattoo on her chest. She also had bright red lipstick.

"Envy, did you really have to use that ugly teacher's form?" Lust asked. "It was so disgusting."

"It was the only way that I would be able to get Pothead away from Dumble-dork, Lust," the person, Envy, said. "I didn't want to look old."

"Well, you looked _old_ and _ugly_," Lust said.

Envy was a person who had palm tree like hair, a tight tank shirt that showed its midriff, a skort, gloves without fingers, and a headband with an upside-down triangle. Envy also had a tattoo on its left thigh and also had purple eyes. Harry backed up to the door, but Lust turned her right index finger and middle finger into lances and speared them into the door behind Harry on either side of his head.

"Not so fast, boy," Lust warned, walking forward. "Do you know why Envy got you from that old man?"

"Professor Dumbledore may be old but --!" Harry started.

"Ah, ah, ah," Lust said. "Don't interrupt me, Mr. Potter."

"How did you know my name?" Harry asked.

"We know everything, Pothead," Envy said, sitting on the desk and grinning. "We got you because you can't tell Professor Dumbledore about your little dream about Wrath and Voldemort. Oops, did I say Wrath? I meant Fuhrer Bradley."

"You know about the dream?" Harry asked.

"Of course we do, Harry," Lust said, retracting her fingers a bit. "Mm, you're so cute. It would be such a shame to kill you, but we have our orders not to."

"How do you know about the dreams?" Harry asked.

"We've known about them for quite some time," Envy answered. "It was Father who interpreted them and told --"

"Envy, don't or you'll spill the secret," Lust interrupted. "Now, Harry, when you go to that old man's office in the morning, tell him that you cannot remember anything or you will be very sorry. I'm sure Ronald's mother would be heartbroken if she heard news of an…unfortunate Quidditch accident, now wouldn't she?"

"But Dumbledore --," Harry started.

"Ah, ah, ah," Lust said, closing her fingers so that they would be an inch away from Harry's neck. "What did I tell you about interrupting?"

Harry gulped.

"Now, do I have your word that you will not tell anyone what you dreamt?" Lust asked.

"If I don't agree?" Harry asked.

"Then we will get rid of entire London, including what was it, Envy?" Lust said.

"Grimmauld Place," Envy answered. "Where your loving godfather and your werewolf buddy lives at."

Harry gulped again.

"Now, do I have your word, Harry dear?" Lust asked.

"Ed will remember and tell his teacher!" Harry burst out.

Envy laughed.

"No, he won't, Pothead," Envy said. "I made sure that he won't. Now, if you tell Dumbledore, we _will_ kill everyone you know. Even your little bird. Now, do we have your word?"

Harry nodded.

"That's a good boy," Lust said. "And don't even think about telling the FullMetal Alchemist's girlfriend or little brother, all right?"

Harry nodded again. Lust retracted her fingers and patted Harry on the head.

"Mm, you're going to make a woman very happy one day, that's _if_ you're lucky enough to live past your sixth year," Lust said. "All right, Envy, take him back to his dorm or whatever you want to call it."

"All right," Envy said, getting off the table and transforming back to the form of Umbridge. "Let's go, Pothead."

Then Envy went to Harry and Lust and grabbed Harry by his upper arm. As soon as Envy and Harry were gone, Lust crossed her arms.

"Oh, why do people have to live in such a horrid climate?" Lust asked herself. "It's really bad for my hair."

Envy took Harry back to the portrait of the Fat Lady and then left. Harry said the password and went into the common room where Al, Winry, Hermione, and Ron were waiting up for Harry.

"Well, what did Dumbledore want?" Ron asked.

"Just wanted to ask me what happened," Harry answered.

"Well?" Hermione asked. "Did you tell him about the dream?"

Harry looked at Ron, who had suddenly looked at his nails.

"No, Professor Umbridge came in and told me to come to bed," Harry said.

"What dream?" Winry demanded.

"It was about --" Ron started.

"It was something stupid," Harry interrupted.

"If it was about something stupid, then why was my brother attacked?" Al demanded.

"It was by a Slytherin, Al," Harry lied. "Slytherins like to gang up on people and take them out. Especially since Ed and I ratted their dads out. I'm going to bed."

Then Harry went up to the fifth year boys' dormitory. Al and Winry went up to the dorms as well, not even wanting to talk to Ron or Hermione. Up in the fifth year boys' dorm, Al quickly undressed, put on his pajamas, and went to bed, angry that Harry lied to him. Al pulled his bed curtains shut and tried to sleep. Harry wanted to tell Al and Winry, but he knew that Lust and Envy were serious. Ron came up a moment later and looked at Harry with concern.

"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Not really," Harry answered.

"Why didn't you want to tell Al and Winry about your dream?" Ron asked.

"I can't," Harry replied. "And it's best that you and Hermione forget about it too."

"Why?" Ron questioned. "Aren't you going to talk to Dumbledore about it in the morning?"

Harry didn't say anything.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry looked at him.

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked.

"I think we're going to be in more trouble than the Order thinks we might be in," Harry said. "That's all I can say."

"You mean about the Fuhrer guy being in cahoots with --" Ron started.

"SH!" Harry shushed. "Don't say anything else, Ron, or we'll get taught!"

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, his face white.

"You don't want to know," Harry answered. "Now, don't tell Hermione. Just tell her that we were forbidden to talk about it."

Before Ron could ask anything else, Harry got into bed and drew his bed curtains shut around him. Ron gulped. He got ready for bed, got into bed, and drew the bed curtains shut around him. In his bed, Al was laying awake. He was shocked at what he had found out. Half of him was glad that he overheard while the other half was wishing that he hadn't found out.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

The next morning, Al and Winry visited Ed in the hospital wing before going to their classes. Ed was picking at the breakfast that Madam Pomfrey had given to him. Ed looked up to Al and Winry once he had heard footsteps coming in. Ed smiled.

"Hey!" Ed greeted. "Have you come to spring me?"

"Sorry, Ed, but Professor McGonagall told us that you'll have to stay until end of classes tomorrow," Winry said.

Ed frowned.

"At least you don't have classes for the rest of the week," Winry said as she sat by Ed's legs. "Do you remember anything?"

"No, all I remember is going up to the boys' fifth year dorm with my books and seeing Harry on the floor wrapped in his bed hangings," Ed grumbled, as he touched the back of his head where the bandages were. "I wish I knew what happened though."

Ed looked from Winry to Al.

"What's wrong, Al?" Ed asked.

"I've asked Al the same thing and he won't tell me anything," Winry said. "I've tried talking to Hermione and Ron about what Harry told them, but they won't tell us anything."

"I know what it is what they won't tell us," Al said.

"What is it?" Ed asked. "What happened?"

"The Fuhrer, he's with --" Al started.

Before Al could finish, Dumbledore came striding in. Dumbledore went to Ed's bedside.

"Hello, Edward, Alphonse, Miss Rockbell," Dumbledore greeted. "How are you?"

"Fantastic," Ed remarked.

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

"It's quite all right," Dumbledore waved off. "Alphonse, Miss Rockbell, you two might want to get a head start on getting to your classes, don't you think?"

"We'll see you at lunch, Edward," Winry said. "I'll check your auto-mail then, okay? And it better not be broken!"

Ed scowled.

"See you, Brother," Al bade.

Then he and Winry left. Ed watched as Winry and Al left, Ed's eyes lingering on Winry's backside for a moment.

"You had quite a spill last night, Edward," Dumbledore said, getting Ed's attention.

"I'll say," Ed remarked.

"Do you know who might have wanted to hurt you?" Dumbledore asked.

"I can think of a few names," Ed said. "But they're too chicken to do anything themselves."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Would you like to know what happened?" Dumbledore asked. "Professor Snape or I can use Legilmency to get the answers."

"No thanks," Ed declined. "I'd like to keep my thoughts to myself. Besides, I think you already had Snake try that."

"You are very perceptive," Dumbledore said.

"Of course I am," Ed said. "They don't call me a prodigy for nothing, you know."

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Did you get any info out of Harry?" Ed asked.

"No, Edward, I did not," Dumbledore replied. "I was going to ask Harry about his dream, but Professor Umbridge came and took Harry. Now, Harry is saying that he doesn't remember his dream."

"That sounds fishy," Ed said. "Al was going to say something about Fuhrer Bradley, but then you came in. Teacher thinks that there's something goin' on in the military. I think she's right. I was expecting to get a court-martial after doing that piece with the _Quibbler_, but I got a frickin' promotion. I might just be paranoid though."

"Don't worry, Edward," Dumbledore said. "Everything will be all right. I think you might want to eat up so you can some of your strength back."

Then Dumbledore patted Ed on the shoulder and left. Ed frowned and looked down at his food.

'_Teachers…'_ Ed thought. _'They always say that it'll be okay, but things only get worse.'_

Ed sighed and put his tray of food onto the stand beside his bed and got out of his bed. He went to a nearby window and looked out onto the grounds. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came out to see Ed with a serious expression on his face.

"Mr. Elric, get back into bed this instant!" Pomfrey demanded.

Ed started and looked at Pomfrey.

"I'm not tired or hungry," Ed said.

"I don't care, Mr. Elric," Pomfrey said. "You were in an accident last night and you need your bed rest."

"Even if I feel completely fine?" Ed retorted.

"Yes, Mr. Elric," Pomfrey answered. "You may have had a serious injury that we don't know about. Magic cannot heal brain injuries."

Ed sighed again and got back into bed, mumbling his dislike for hospitals and hospital wings. Madam Pomfrey put the tray back over Ed's legs.

"Eat your breakfast," Pomfrey ordered.

"I'm not hungry," Ed declined.

"Fine," Pomfrey said, taking the tray.

Then Pomfrey left the room and went into her office so she could have a house-elf collect the breakfast tray. Ed groaned and looked at his bedside stand. He gasped.

"Shit!" Ed whispered. "It's gone! I'm sure I was wearin' it last night! Wait…Winry might have it. She probably took it when I wasn't looking last night. She has been wantin' to look at it for a long time."

Ed swore and lay back onto the pillow. It was going to be a long day. He fell asleep a few moments later. Unknown to Ed, Lust and Envy listened in on his solo conversation in the shadows. Envy and Lust came out of the shadows and walked to Ed's bedside.

"To think that this kid has a relationship," Envy said.

"Well, he is cute," Lust said, "even though he has ruined some of the plans before."

"That's why Father had Wrath to –," Envy started. "Let's go, Lust. It's not safe to talk out here."

"All right," Lust said.

Lust ran a finger down Ed's cheek.

"Winry, stop it," Ed whined in his sleep.

Lust and Envy chuckled. Then they left the hospital wing just as Pomfrey came back out. Pomfrey looked around and shrugged, going back into her office. At lunch time, Al, Winry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came to visit Ed. Ed was awake and eating his lunch with gusto. Winry had her Deluxe Auto-Mail Maintenance Kit with her.

"Edward!" Winry scolded.

Ed flinched, gulped down his food, and looked up.

"Hey!" Ed said. "I was wonderin' when you'd be here!"

"We said we would come by at lunch, Edward," Al said. "What did Professor Dumbledore have to say?"

"Professor Dumbledore was here?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ed answered. "But Bumblebore didn't say much."

"Hmm," Hermione said.

Winry set her kit down onto the side table and opened it.

"Winry, do you really have to do that now?" Ed asked.

"Yes, I do," Winry answered. "I want to see if your auto-mail was harmed in anyway."

Ed scowled.

"Don't look, Hermione," Ed said.

"I need to do some homework anyway," Hermione huffed.

Then Hermione turned on her heel and left.

"See you later, mate," Ron said.

"Yeah, see you," Harry said.

"Take this," Winry said, giving Harry the tray that held Ed's empty plate and goblet.

Then Harry and Ron left as well after looking at each other. Ed scowled as Winry started to look over Ed's auto-mail.

"Why bother coming to visit me if they're gonna leave a minute later?" Ed asked.

"Maybe it's because you were a bit rude?" Winry supposed.

"Or maybe it's because they know something," Al whispered.

"What were you going to say this morning, Al?" Ed asked.

"I don't think it's safe to say right now," Al answered.

"Why not?" Ed questioned.

"We're not alone," Al replied mysteriously.

"Al, you're creepin' me out," Winry said.

Al blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry," Al mumbled.

"Don't worry about it," Ed wove off. "Winry, do you have my pocket watch?"

"You left it in your trunk, Brother," Al answered. "You haven't worn it in a long time."

"I haven't?" Ed asked. "I thought…"

Al and Winry looked at each other and then back at Ed.

"Are you all right, Ed?" Winry asked. "You're kinda worryin' me."

"I guess it's just from the hit I got last night," Ed mumbled. "It's goin' to be a long rest of the week."

"Ed, it isn't goin' to be that long," Winry comforted, as she closed her kit. "And you didn't get your auto-mail destroyed this time."

Ed's temple ticked as Winry chuckled.

"Just calm down, okay?" Winry asked.

Ed crossed his arms.

"Just come and visit later," Ed mumbled.

Winry chuckled. She kissed Ed on the cheek as Ed blushed. Al looked away, grinning. As Winry said, the day passed by quickly as did the next day. When Ed was released after Friday's classes were over, he punched the air with his fist. Winry and Al had come to escort him.

"Let's ditch the Great Hall and go to the kitchens later," Ed said. "I wanna get some fresh air!"

"But we'll get sick without our coats!" Winry said.

"It's okay, Winry," Al said. "We'll only be out there for a few minutes."

"All right," Winry consented. "Let's go."

As they went on their way to go outside, Ed, Al, and Winry were being watched by Lust and Envy.

**Author's Note:** I hope you liked these chapters! It might be a couple of weeks before I update again since I just got done with typing this last chapter. I hope it lived up to your expectations! Next chapter will feature the new teachers! Review please!


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update. I was going to update after Christmas, but I thought that I should update now! Consider it your Christmas present! I hope you all like these chapters! Merry Christmas!

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Ed was the talk of the school for a couple of days, but only for a couple of days. Two weeks after Harry's two dreams, Harry found himself to be kneeling on the floor of Snape's office, trying to clear his head. He had just been forced, yet again, to relive a stream of very early memories he had not even realized he still had, most of them concerning humiliations Dudley and his gang had inflicted upon him in primary school.

"Get up, Potter," Snape ordered.

Harry didn't say anything as he got to his feet.

"That last memory," Snape inquired, "what was it?"

"I don't know," Harry answered. "You mean the one where my cousin tried to make me stand in the toilet?"

"No," Snape replied softly. "I mean the one with the man with an Amestris Military uniform in a dark room."

"It's…nothing," Harry lied.

Snape's eyes bore into Harry's. Remembering what Snape had said about eye contact being crucial to Legilimency, Harry blinked and looked away.

"How do that man and that room come to be inside your head, Potter?" Snape asked.

"It --" Harry started. "It was just a dream I had."

There was silence for a while, then…

"You do know why we are here, don't you, Potter?" Snape scolded. "You do know why I am giving up my evenings to this tedious task?"

"Yes," Harry answered stiffly.

"Remind me of why we are here, Potter," Snape drawled.

"So I can learn Occlumency," Harry grumbled, glaring at a dead eel.

"Correct, Potter," Snape said. "And dim though you may be" -- Harry looked back at Snape, hating him -- "I would have though that after two months' worth of lessons you might have made some progress. How many other dreams about the Dark Lord have you had?"

"Just that one," lied Harry.

"And this is the one you had when Mr. Elric was attacked?" Snape questioned.

"Yes," Harry answered. "I didn't mean to have him get hurt."

"Then you would have told Professor Dumbledore who that man was instead of lying to him," Snape admonished.

"You don't understand," Harry accused. "Even though it's your job to be Dumbledore's spy in the Death Eaters, it doesn't mean you'd know everything Voldemort is doing or who he is with."

"And I suppose that is why you feel it important --," Snape started.

"I don't _want_ these dreams, Snake!" Harry snapped.

"Then you should be compelled to practice Occlumency better!" Snape snapped back. "I just think that you are a lazy and sloppy --!"

"I am _not_!" Harry interrupted.

Before Snape could say anything else, a woman screamed from somewhere outside the room. Snape's head jerked upward; he was staring at the ceiling. Harry could hear a muffled commotion coming from what he thought might be the entrance hall. Snape looked at Harry, frowning.

"Did you see anything odd on your way down here, Potter?" Snape asked.

Harry shook his head. Somewhere above them, the woman screamed again. Snape strode to his office door, his wand still held at the ready, and swept out of sight. Harry hesitated for a moment, then followed. The screams were indeed coming from the entrance hall, they grew louder as Harry ran toward the stone steps leading up from the dungeons. When he reached the top, he found the entrance hall packed. Students had come flooding out of the Great Hall, where dinner was still in progress, to see what was going on. Others had crammed themselves onto the marble staircase. Harry pushed forward through a knot of tall Slytherins and saw that the onlookers had formed a great ring, some of them looking shocked, others even frightened. McGonagall was directly opposite Harry on the other side of the hall; she looked as though what she saw was watching made her feel faintly sick. Izumi was standing beside her with her arms crossed and had an angry look on her face. Ed and Al and Winry were standing by Izumi with identical expressions

Professor Trelawney was standing in the middle of the entrance hall with her wand in one hand and an empty sherry bottle in the other, looking utterly mad. Her hair was sticking up on end, her glasses lopsided so that one eye was magnified more than the other; her innumerable shawls and scarves were trailing haphazardly from her shoulders, giving the impression that she was falling apart at the seams. Two large trunks lay on the floor beside her, one of them upside down; it looked very much as though it had been thrown down the stairs after her. Professor Trelawney was staring apparently terrified, at something Harry could not see but that seemed to be standing at the foot of the stairs.

"No!" Trelawney shrieked. "NO! This cannot be happening… It cannot … I refuse to accept it!"

"You didn't realize this was coming?" a high girlish voice, which belonged to none other than Umbridge, asked. "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realized that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable you would be sacked?"

"You c-can't!" Trelawney howled, tears streaming down her face from behind her enormous lenses, "you c-can't sack me! I've b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-home!"

"It _was_ your home," Umbridge corrected, her toad-like face stretching in enjoyment as she watched Trelawney sink, sobbing uncontrollably, onto one of her trunks, "until an hour ago, when the Minister of Magic countersigned the order for your dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us."

Umbridge continued watching in enjoyment as Trelawney rocked back and forth on one of her trunks, sobbing. Just then, McGonagall and Izumi broke away from the spectators, marched straight up to Trelawney. McGonagall pat Trelawney on the back as Izumi gave Trelawney a handkerchief.

"It's all right," Izumi said, with a soft tone that Harry nor any of the other students had heard before. "You won't have to leave."

"Izumi is right, Sibyll, you don't have to leave," McGonagall comforted.

"Oh, really, Professors?" Umbridge asked in a deadly voice, taking a few steps forward them. "And your authority for that statement is…?"

"Dumbledore's," Izumi said, standing straight and putting her hands on her hips.

"Professor Curtis is right," a deep voice confirmed.

The oak front doors had swung open. Students beside them scuttled out of the way as Dumbledore appeared in the entrance. What he had been doing out in the grounds, Harry could not imagine, but there was something impressive about the sight of him framed in the doorway against an oddly misty night. Leaving the doors wide behind him, he strode forward through the circle of onlookers toward the place where Professor Trelawney sat, tearstained and trembling, upon her trunk, McGonagall alongside her.

"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" Umbridge laughed. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here" -- she pulled out two parchment scrolls from within her robes -- "two Orders of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. One for Professor Trelawney and the other for Professor Curtis. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation, and sack any teacher she -- that is to say, I -- feel is not performing up to the standard required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her. And now I am dismissing Professor Curtis."

Dumbledore smiled and looked Trelawney and back to Umbridge.

"You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore said. "As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid," he gave a courteous little bow to Umbridge, "that the power to do that still resides with the headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts. Professor Curtis may continue if she wishes as well."

"Don't worry, Albus," Izumi said. "I'll go back to Dublith."

"Teacher, don't leave us!" Al spoke out. "We need you here!"

Everyone looked at Al. Izumi went to Al.

"It'll be all right, Alphonse," Izumi assured.

Trelawney gave a wild little laugh in which a hiccup was barely hidden.

"I'll g-go, Dumbledore!" Trelawney stammered. "I sh-shall l-leave Hogwarts and s-seek my fortune elsewhere like P--Professor Curtis."

"No," Dumbledore said sharply. "It is my wish that you remain, Sibyll. Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sibyll back upstairs?"

"Of course," McGonagall said. "Up you get, Sibyll."

Then she helped Trelawney up and guided her up the marble stairs. Professor Flitwick went scurrying after them and magicked the luggage into the air and had it float in front of him as he proceeded up the staircase after McGonagall and Trelawney.

"I'll be in my quarters," Izumi said.

Then Izumi went to follow McGonagall, Trelawney, and Flitwick. Before Izumi ascended the staircase, however, Izumi punched Umbridge, giving Umbridge a bloody nose. Dumbledore looked the other way, pretending he hadn't seen anything. Umbridge corrected her nose and stared at Dumbledore, who was still smiling.

"And what," Umbridge whispered, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Dumbledore said pleasantly. "You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor. And not to mention, the Amestris military will be providing us with a teacher of their own for the students."

"You've found --?" Umbridge shrilled. "_You've_ found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Twenty-two --"

"-- the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if -- and only if -- the headmaster is unable to find one," Dumbledore completed. And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you to the new Divination teacher?"

He turned to face the open front doors, through which night mist was now drifting. The sound of hooves could be heard. There was a shocked murmur around the hall and those nearest the doors hastily moved even farther backward, some of them tripping over in their haste to clear a path for the newcomer.

Through the mist came a figure with white blond hair and astonishingly blue eyes, the head and torso of a man joined to the palomino body of a horse.

"This is Firenze," Dumbledore said happily to a thunderstruck Umbridge. "I think you'll find him suitable."


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note:** There is a DragonBall Z (from the original Japanese dialogue) reference in here. Cookies to whoever spots it!

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"But why, damn it?!" Ed yelled, pounding a fist on Izumi's desk.

Izumi was packing her stuff the next morning, and Ed and Winry and Al were in her office. They didn't care to go to class.

"Because I was fired, Edward," Izumi said, putting some papers into a briefcase on the desk and looking at Ed, Al, and Winry. "I can't stay where I'm not wanted."

"But we want you here, Teacher," Al said, quietly.

Izumi smiled at Al.

"I know you do, Alphonse," Izumi said. "But I also need to help Sig and Mason at the store back home. I _have_ missed them."

"But, Ms. Izumi," Winry started, "do you think it wise to leave? I mean, Ed was attacked two weeks ago on his way to tell you something. I don't think it would --"

"The military is sending someone to teach you," Izumi interrupted.

"Who are they sending?" Ed asked.

"Professor Dumbledore hasn't told me, but he said that the new Alchemy teacher will be able to protect you all from any danger," Izumi answered.

"I thought you didn't trust the government," Ed remarked.

"I don't," Izumi replied. "But if I don't leave and I don't act like I'm suspicious, I'm afraid that something bad will happen. Is that what you are afraid that will happen if I leave, Alphonse?"

Al nodded.

"Please don't leave," Al murmured.

"Alphonse, everything will be all right," Izumi assured.

"No, it won't," Al disagreed. "It will just get worse."

"What do you mean?" Winry asked.

"I don't know," Al answered. "I just have a feeling."

"I am just an owl away, Alphonse," Izumi reassured.

Izumi then finished packing. A few moments later, she left through the fireplace. Ed, Al, and Winry gazed at the fireplace. Ed put a hand on Al's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Al, I'll protect you," Ed promised.

Al didn't say anything.

"I'll help," Winry agreed with Ed, putting a hand on Al's other shoulder. "No one is going to mess with us."

Al sighed and nodded.

The fifth year Gryffindors wouldn't have their next Divination class and Alchemy class until a few days later after the sacking of Trelawney and Izumi. At breakfast on that morning, Parvati was curling her eyelashes around her wand and examining the effect in the back of her spoon.

"I'll bet you wish you hadn't given up Divination now, don't you, Hermione?" Parvati smirked. "And I heard you don't take it anymore, either, Winry."

"It's a load of crap," Winry said. "And not to mention, he's just a horse."

"I agree," Hermione said indifferently, who was reading the _Daily Prophet_. "I've never really liked horses."

"He's not a horse!" Lavender reprimanded. "He's a centaur!"

"A _gorgeous_ centaur," Parvati sighed.

"Still a horse," Ed muttered, taking a bite of a sausage and then looking at Lavender and Parvati. "Besides, aren't you two all weepy about bat-lady leavin'?"

"We are!" Lavender protested. "And don't call her a bat lady!"

"Free country," Ed muttered.

"How is she?" Al asked.

"Not very good, poor thing," Lavender sympathized. "She was crying and saying she'd rather leave the castle forever than stay here if Umbridge is till here, and I don't blame her. Umbridge was horrible to her, wasn't she?"

"She'll be getting worse, mark my words," Al muttered darkly. "She'll want revenge on Dumbledore for hiring another part-human."

"She shouldn't have fired Professor Curtis," Parvati said. "Even though Professor Curtis was rough, she was still a good teacher."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ed, and Al agreed. After breakfast, Hermione departed for her Arithmancy class while Winry left for Potions. Harry, Ron, Ed, and Al followed Parvati and Lavender into the entrance hall, heading for Divination.

"Aren't we going up to North Tower?" Ron asked, looking puzzled as Parvati bypassed the marble staircase.

Ed scowled.

"Ron, how would you expect a horse to climb up that step ladder?" Ed asked. "It's goin' to be in classroom eleven. You would have known if you actually read the notice board."

Ron's ears turned red in embarrassment. Classroom eleven was situated in the ground-floor corridor leading off the entrance hall on the opposite side to the Great Hall. When Harry, Ron, Ed, Al, Parvati, and Lavender entered the classroom, they were surprised.

"Not too shabby," Ed muttered.

"No," Al agreed. "It looks a bit like the island Teacher dropped us off at."

"Sure does," Ed said.

The classroom floor had become mossy and trees were growing out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows, so that the room was full of slanting shafts of soft, dappled, green light. The students who had already arrived were sitting on the earthy floor with their backs resting against tree trunks or boulders, their arms wrapped around their knees or folded tightly across their chests, looking rather nervous. In the middle of the room, where there were no trees, stood Firenze.

"Nice place," Ed muttered.

Al nudged Ed in the ribs with his elbow. Ed snickered.

"Harry Potter," Firenze greeted Harry, holding out a hand when Harry entered.

"Er -- hi," Harry replied, shaking hands with Firenze, who surveyed him unblinkingly through those astonishingly blue eyes but did not smile. "Er -- good to see you…"

"And you," Firenze said, inclining his head. "It was foretold that we would meet again."

Ed and Al gave each other apprehensive looks, each thinking that Firenze was intense. When the door was closed and the last student had sat down upon a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket, Firenze gestured around the room.

"Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us," Firenze said when everyone had settled down, "in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was -- until Monday -- my home…but this is not possible."

"Please -- er -- sir --," Parvati said breathlessly, raising her hand, "why not? We've bee in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened."

"It's not about bravery, Parvati," Ed said before Firenze could.

Everyone turned and looked at Ed. Ed was sitting against a tree trunk with his hands clasped behind his head and legs crossed at the ankle. Ed opened an eye.

"It's about Freezer's position," Ed continued. "He's been banned by the other horse things for doin' whatever."

"Professor Dumbledore warned me about you," Firenze said, as everybody gaped at Ed for his care-free attitude towards Firenze. "I am not offended. I have been banned by the others in my herd for agreeing to work for Professor Dumbledore."

"There are more of you?" Parvati asked.

"Did Hagrid breed you like the Thestrals?" Dean asked excitedly.

Dean flushed in embarrassment as Firenze turned to look at him, knowing immediately that he had said the wrong thing. Ed couldn't help but to shake in supressed laughter.

"I didn't -- I meant -- sorry," Dean finished in a hushed voice.

"Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans," Firenze said quietly. "Let us begin."

He swished his long palomino tail, raised his hand toward the leafy canopy overhead then lowered it slowly, and as he did so, the light in the room dimmed, so that they now seemed to be sitting in a forest clearing by twilight, and stars emerged upon the ceiling.

"Lie back upon the floor," Firenze instructed in his calm voice, "and observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our races. I know that you have learned the names of the planets and their moons in Astronomy, and that you have mapped the stars' progress through the heavens. Centaurs have unraveled the mysteries of these movements over centuries. Our findings teach us that the future may be glimpsed in the sky above us…"

"Professor Trelawney did Astrology with us!" Parvati said excitedly, raising her hand in front of her so that it stuck up in the air as she lay on her back. "Mars causes accidents and burns and things and --"

"No, it doesn't," Ed scowled, not laughing anymore. "Being careless when doing things causes accidents and burns. You have to be careful _all_ of the time when handling hot objects."

"Edward Elric is correct," Firenze said. "Professor Trelawney is a human. And is therefore blinkered and fettered by the limitations of your kind. Sibyll Trelawney may have Seen, I do not know, but she wastes her time, in the main, on the self-flattering nonsense humans call fortune telling. I, however, am here to explain the wisdom of centaurs, which is impersonal and impartial. We watch the skies for the great tides of evil or change that are sometimes marked there. It may take ten years to be sure of what we are seeing."

Firenze pointed to the red star directly above Harry.

"In the past decade, the indications have been that Wizard-kind is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must break out again soon. How soon, centaurs may attempt to divine by the burning of certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume and flame…"

It was the most unusual lesson Ed had ever attended. They did indeed burn sage and mallow-sweet there on the classroom floor, and Firenze told them to look for certain shapes and symbols in the pungent fumes, but he seemed perfectly unconcerned that most of them could not see the symbols in question, saying that humans weren't very good at that and that it took centaurs years and years to become competent. He finished by telling them that it was foolish to put too much faith in such things anyway, because even centaurs sometimes read them wrongly.

After class ended, Firenze told Harry, Ron, Ed, and Al to hang back and shut the door so no one would overhear their conversation.

"Alphonse Elric," Firenze said, looking at Al who had looked at Firenze when hearing his name, "have you practiced this before?"

"No," Al answered. "I don't know why I was the only one to see those symbols."

"Your eyes are not as innocent as they should be," Firenze said. "You have knowledge that --."

But Al didn't let him finish. Al grabbed his bag and rushed out of the room. Ed grabbed his bag and went after Al.

"Al!" Ed called out.

Ed caught up with Al at the front double doors.

"Al, are you okay?" Ed asked.

"I'm a monster, Brother," Al whispered.

"What?" Ed asked. "Who gave you that stupid idea?"

"Nobody did," Al answered. "I just…I'm sorry… I'm just being stupid."

"Don't let what horse-guy Freezer say get to you, okay?" Ed said. "He's just a high-and-mighty actin' horse dude who thinks everyone else is below him and his kind or whatever. Come on. Let's get to Alchemy to see who our new teacher is."

Al nodded. Then he and Ed went to the Alchemy classroom. Already there were Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ed and Al sat by them.

"Are you all right, Alphonse?" Hermione asked.

"I'm fine," Al answered.

A few minutes later, the bell rang for the class to start. Everyone was wondering when the teacher would come when a voice spoke.

"All right, everyone, calm down," said the voice.

Ed froze at the sound of the voice and whirled around along with everyone else to see…

"Are you shocked to see me here, FullMetal?" asked the person to whom the voice belonged, Colonel Mustang.

"What are you doing here?!" Ed asked, pointing at Roy.

"The Fuhrer has asked me to be the professor of your teacher's class since she was let go by Professor Umbridge," Mustang answered, going to the front of the class and facing everyone while standing behind the desk. "He thought it would be a good idea. And Edward, it's not polite to point."

Ed growled underneath his breath while he stopped pointing at Mustang. Mustang smirked and then read the note on the desk that was left by Izumi.

"It seems that you covered quite a bit," Mustang said. "But you haven't covered enough."

"What more is there to learn?" Malfoy asked. "Alchemy is just a waste of --"

Just then, Roy snapped his fingers, making Malfoy's robes catch on fire. Malfoy yelped and started stamping out the fire. The Gryffindor's laughed.

"This glove that I am wearing on my right hand," Roy said, after everyone had quieted down and showing his right hand, "is made out of special reactive cloth. When rubbed together, it sparks. The rest is just adjusting the oxygen level in the air around what I want to combust, and then it explodes…like Mr. Malfoy's robes. I will be teaching you all of the techniques that are able to be done with Alchemy."

Parvati raised her hand.

"Yes?" Roy asked.

"Will you teach us how to 'transmute' without a circle like Edward and Alphonse and Professor Curtis can do?" Parvati asked.

"No," Roy answered. "That is something that cannot be taught."

"Then how can they do it?" Parvati asked.

"Let me put it this way, Edward and Alphonse and Professor Curtis are special alchemists," Roy explained. "They all have done stupid things in their past, but those mistakes have allowed them this ability. The mistakes they have made are not to be repeated because it would be illegal and stupid."

"Then why aren't they in your prison?" Malfoy demanded.

"That is none of your concern," Roy said. "Now, let's see what we can do for today."

After the lesson was over, Roy excused them all for lunch and held Ed and Al back. Ed and Al went to the front of the class and to Roy's desk.

"What do you want, Colonel Sarcasm?" Ed asked.

"Calm down, Edward," Roy said. "I'm just here because Fuhrer Bradley thought it would be best for me to take over the post so I can keep an eye on you."

"You mean to spy on me," Ed grumbled.

"Is that exactly what he said, Colonel?" Al asked.

"Yes," Roy answered. "Why? Did you --?"

"I just don't think I trust the Fuhrer," Al said.

"No, Hughes didn't either," Roy muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Ed asked.

"I don't want to tell you, but if I didn't tell you, then you would find out from another source," Roy answered. "Hughes was murdered."

"What?" Ed gasped.

"We just saw him last summer!" Al said.

"Why aren't you investigating his death?!" Ed demanded.

"Because I've been assigned here," Roy answered. "The investigation is being taken care of, so don't worry."

Ed scowled and left the room. Al bowed in respect and went after Ed.

**Author's Note:** Did you see it? I hope you did!


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Even though Ed wanted to dwell on what Roy had told him, Ed had no choice but to prepare for the O.W.L. exams as they neared further since the dull March had turned into a squally April. Meanwhile, the teachers and Hermione persisted in reminding the fifth years of the impending exams. All of the fifth years, including Ed, were suffering from stress to some degree, but Ed was the first one to receive a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey after beating Malfoy into a pulp after Malfoy had taunted him about being held back a year.

The defense club was the only thing that had kept Ed from really acting out. They had finally started working on Patronuses, which everybody had been very keen to practice, though as Harry kept reminding them, producing a Patronus in the middle of a brightly lit classroom when they were not under threat was very different to producing it when confronted by something like a dementor.

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy," Cho said brightly, watching her silvery swan shaped Patronus soar around the Room of Requirement during their last lesson before Easter break. "They're so pretty!"

"They're not supposed to be pretty," said Harry. "They're supposed to protect you. What we really need is a boggart or something. That's how I learned. I had to conjure one while the boggart pretended to be a dementor."

"But that would be really scary!" said Lavender.

"That's the point, Lavender," Ed said harshly, as his lion chased after one of the Patronuses.

"Edward, don't be so grumpy," Winry scolded, as her lioness pranced after Ed's lion.

"Yeah, Brother," Al agreed with Winry, his cat was gamboling around him.

Harry went to Neville who was only producing silver vapors

"You've got to think of something _happy_," said Harry.

"I'm trying," said Neville, nervously.

"Harry, I think I'm doing it!" yelled Seamus, it was his first meeting. "Look – ah – it's gone... But it was definitely something hairy, Harry!"

Ed snickered. Winry shot Ed a glare. Ed grinned sheepishly.

"They _are_ sort of nice, aren't they?" said Hermione.

Just then, the Room of Requirement door opened and then closed. The room went silent. Harry looked around but couldn't see anybody until he felt a tugging at his robes. It was Dobby the house-elf.

"Hi, Dobby!" said Harry. "What are you – what's wrong?"

Dobby's eyes were wide with terror and he was shaking. The members of the D.A. closest to Harry had fallen silent now. Everybody in the room was watching Dobby. The Patronuses faded away into silver mist, leaving the room looking much darker than before.

"Harry Potter, sir...," squeaked Dobby as he trembled. "Harry Potter, sir...Dobby has come to warn you...but the house-elves have been warned not to tell."

Dobby tried to run into the wall, but Ed was able to stop him.

"What's wrong, Dobby?" Ed asked.

"She…she…," Dobby started.

Dobby hit himself with his fist, but Ed stopped him.

"Do you meant Umbridge?" Al asked.

Dobby nodded.

"She found out?" Winry asked.

Dobby nodded again.

"Is she coming, Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry Potter, yes!" howled Dobby.

"SHIT!" Ed swore. "GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!!!!"

Then everybody started to run out of the room.

"Come on, Harry!" Ed said, motioning for Harry to follow along.

"You go on ahead!" Harry said.

Ed scowled.

"Winry, Al, go on ahead," Ed said.

"What about you?" Winry asked. "You'll get into --"

"Just go!" Ed snapped.

Then Ed pushed Al and Winry out the door. Winry glared at Ed and then left with Al to the library. After Harry instructed Dobby not to tell Umbridge anything and not to hurt himself, Harry and Ed left the Room of Requirement.

"Why did you decide to wait for me?" Harry asked.

"I wanted to ask you about the dream that you -- GYAAAAH!!!!!!" Ed said.

Something had caught them both around the ankles and they both fell spectacularly, skidding along for six feet before coming to a stop. Someone behind them were laughing. Ed and Harry rolled onto their backs and saw Malfoy concealed in a niche beneath an ugly dragon vase.

"Trip Jinx, Potter, Elric!" Malfoy boasted. "Hey, Professor -- PROFESSOR! I've got two!"

"Should've known a snake would catch us," Ed muttered.

Umbridge came bustling around the far corner, breathless but wearing a delighted smile.

"It's them!" Umbridge said in delight. "Excellent, Draco, oh, very good -- one hundred points to Slytherin! I'll take them from here. Stand up, Potter, Elric!"

Ed and Harry both stood up. Before Umbridge could grab Ed by the arm, Roy came to them.

"Sorry, Professor, but I can't allow you to take Edward with you," Roy said. "It's something called Diplomatic Immunity. Come on, FullMetal. Now."

Ed opened his mouth to say something, but Roy got Ed by the arm and started leading him away. Roy took Ed to the library where Al and Winry were and let go of Ed's arm.

"What's your problem?" Ed asked.

"I just saved you from getting yourself into trouble, Edward," Roy said. "You better not toe across the line again. Now, study for your exams so you won't be held back another year."

Then Roy left the library.

"Bastard," Ed muttered.

"Where's Harry?" Winry asked.

"Toad bitch got 'im," Ed answered. "She was goin' to take us somewhere, but Colonel Idiot came and got me."

"If that was Colonel Mustang," Al muttered.

"What, Al?" Ed asked.

"Nothing," Al brushed off. "It's nothing."

Ed didn't say anything. The next morning, Ed, Winry, and Al saw a new decree posted up on the Gryffindor notice board.

**------------BY ORDER OF----------**

The Ministry of Magic

Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced

Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of

Witchcraft and Wizardry.

_**The above is in accordance with**_

_**Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight.**_

**Signed:**

**Cornelius Oswald Fudge**

**Minister of Magic**

After Herbology, Harry told Ed and Al and Ernie while they were walking back up to the castle of what had happened the night before. Ron and Hermione were with them.

"That explains it," Ed muttered.

"But Professor Dumbledore will be back, won't he?" Al asked.

"Yeah, he'll definitely be back before too long," Ernie boasted. "They couldn't keep him away in second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her. Apparently she had a right little tantrum…"

"Of course, she would have loved to get her fat ass into Bumblebore's office chair," Ed remarked, as they went into the castle.

"Now, Elfric," Malfoy remarked. "You really shouldn't have said that about our new headmistress."

"It's Elric, you dumb son-of-a-bitch!" Ed snapped at Malfoy as Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle revealed themselves to Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ernie.

"Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," Malfoy drawled.

"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy!" Ernie said.

"No, Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl can dock points too, Ernie," Al reminded.

"How do you know this, Smellric?" Malfoy asked.

Al punched Malfoy in the nose and stormed off. Ed gave Malfoy a black eye and left after his little brother. They both went into the Great Hall. Ed and Winry found Winry and sat down by her.

"Is everything all right?" Winry asked.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about," Ed answered. "Right, Al?"

Al nodded, but he didn't say anything. A few minutes later, they were joined by Ron and Hermione.

"Where's Harry?" Winry asked.

"Professor Umbridge wanted to talk to him," Hermione answered.

"What for?" Al asked.

"Didn't say," Ron replied.

"Alphonse, I know Malfoy is irritating, but you can't let him get under your skin like that," Hermione consoled.

"You said that nothing was wrong!" Winry snapped.

"Well, we took care of it!" Ed protested. "You would have done the same, Winry!"

Winry didn't say anything. She knew that Ed was right.

"What did you and Alphonse do?" Winry asked.

"They punched Malfoy," Ron said, grinning. "It was brilliant!"

Hermione pursed her lips.

"Oh, Hermione, loosen up," Winry scowled. "You can't be little miss perfect all the time."

Hermione glared at Winry and refused to take part in any conversations until they heard a loud boom. They all ran out of the Great Hall to see great fireworks of dragons comprised entirely of green-and-gold sparks soaring up and down the corridors, emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went. Shocking-pink Catherine wheels five feet in diameter were whizzing lethally through the air like so many flying saucers. Rockets with long tails of brilliant silver stars were ricocheting off the walls. Sparklers were writing swearwords in midair of their own accord. Fire crackers were exploding like mines everywhere, and instead of burning themselves out, fading from sight, or fizzling to a halt, these pyrotechnical miracles seemed to be gaining in energy and momentum the longer they watched.

Ed and Al were wearing broad grins. Winry had a look between shock, awe, and apprehension. A moment later, Roy was standing beside them, admiring the show.

"Impressive," Roy commented. "It's going to be terribly hard for the students to concentrate. I might give them today off."

Then Roy walked off. The fireworks continued to burn and to spread all over the school that afternoon. Though they caused plenty of disruption, particularly the firecrackers, the other teachers did not seem to mind them very much.

"Dear, dear," McGonagall remarked, as one of the dragons soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. "Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?"

The upshot of it all was that Professor Umbridge spent her first afternoon as headmistress running all over the school answering the summonses of the other teachers, none of whom seemed able to rid their rooms of the fireworks without her. When the final bell rang and the students were heading back to Gryffindor Tower with their bags, a disheveled and soot-blackened Umbridge could be seen tottering sweaty faced from Professor Flitwick's classroom.

"Thank you so much, Professor," Flitwick squeaked. "I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn't sure whether I had the _authority_…"

Beaming, Flitwick closed his classroom door in her snarling face. Fred and George were heroes that night in the Gryffindor common room. Ed was among the crowd that was ordering fireworks as Hermione congratulated Fred and George. Ed pushed a couple of people away and transmuted the top of his auto-mail arm into a blade.

"Everybody stay back so I can make my order!" Ed threatened.

Everybody groaned but also looked in awe of how Ed could transmute without a circle. Ed transmuted his arm back to normal and turned to Fred and George.

"All right, Fred, I want ten boxes of your Deflagration Deluxe," Ed requested. "They're twenty galleons a pop, right?"

"For you, and Harry if he ever wants any, they're free," George said.

"Great," Ed grinned.

Just then, Ed fell down from a wrench to the head. Ed got up and stormed to where Winry was.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Ed yelled.

"For transmuting your arm!" Winry replied angrily. "You know how much I hate it when you do that!"

"How else was I supposed to get my order in?!" Ed retorted.

"You could have been patient!" Winry suggested.

"That's like telling Colonel Stupid to do his own paperwork!" Ed said. "I'm not gonna wait forever to get --!"

Ed and Winry continued arguing. A few minutes later, they both 'hmphed' and stormed up their respective dorm staircases. Al sighed and shook his head.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

On the first day of the Easter holidays, Winry went straight to the hospital wing after breakfast. Winry had forgiven Ed for transmuting his auto-mail, and they had acted as if they had never argued. Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to the common room after breakfast to start studying for the O.W.L. exams and sat down at a table by a window. Harry, Ron, and Al let Hermione draw up their study schedules, but Ed wouldn't hear of it.

"No, I'm not gonna let you draw up any study schedules for me, thanks," Ed refused, snatching away a piece of parchment that had his name on it and tearing it up. "I can study on my own time and my own way, Hermione."

"Fine," Hermione sniffed, starting to draw up a schedule for Ron, then turning to Harry, and saying, "But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons anymore, Harry?"

"I've _told _you, Hermione," Harry lied, "Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now that I've got the basics."

"But you don't got the basics, Harry," Ed pointed out.

"Have you stopped having funny dreams?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Pretty much," Harry lied again.

Ed rolled his eyes, knowing that Harry was lying.

"Well, I don't think Snape should stop until you're absolutely sure you can control them!" Hermione protested. "Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask --"

"Hermione, if Professor Snape really wanted to teach Harry, he would have done so better and not stop the lessons, even if he does have the basics down," Al interrupted. "It's best to leave him alone."

Hermione looked at Al, who blushed in embarrassment. Pegasus jumped onto Al's lap, and Al started to pet him.

"Yeah, Hermione," Harry said, forcefully, making Hermione look at him, "so just back off."

Hermione pursed her lips and continued to work on Ron's study schedule.

"There's only six weeks left until exams," Ron said in surprise.

"How can you be so surprised, Ron?" Ed asked. "You should have known that they were comin' up on us."

"Well, there's a lot going on," Ron mumbled.

"There you are," Hermione said, handing him his schedule, "if you follow that you should do fine."

Ron looked down at it gloomily, but then brightened.

"You've given me an evening off every week!" Ron cheered.

"That's probably for Quidditch," Ed assumed.

"It is," Hermione confirmed.

"What's the point?" Ron asked dully, the smile fading from his face. "We've got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad's got of becoming Minister of Magic."

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry who had just picked up his _Defense Magical Theory_ book.

"What?" Harry asked quickly. "Nothing…"

"It's probably about Cho," Al spoke up. "They had a fight about Marietta the other day."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ed looked at him.

"How did you know that?" Harry asked.

Al blushed again.

"I…uh…," Al started, letting Pegasus down onto the floor and standing. "I've gotta get something in my trunk."

"Did you put a move on her?" Ed asked, suspiciously and grinning.

"No, I just ran into her and she was crying and -- is that the time?" Al said, looking at the watch Izumi bought for him. "I've gotta go get Pegasus some food."

Then Al quickly left.

"Are you all right with that, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"With what?" Harry asked.

Ed looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"With Alphonse being with Cho?" Hermione prompted.

"I don't care," Harry brushed off. "He can have her."

"But --" Hermione started.

"If Harry says it's okay, then it's okay," Ed interrupted. "Don't push the subject."

Hermione pursed her lips and didn't say anything else about the matter. During the Easter holidays, Ed and Al spent all of their time studying for the OWL exams away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Winry spent all of her time during the holidays in the hospital wing making up more auto-mail for Ed and for some other customers that were in Resembool. Winry knew she didn't have to make any for the people in Amestris since Pinako was, but Winry wanted to since she had learned some new techniques to make the auto-mail better.

As though to underline the importance of the upcoming examinations, a batch of pamphlets, leaflets, and notices concerning various wizarding careers appeared on the tables in Gryffindor Tower shortly before the end of the holidays, along with yet another notice on the board, which read:

**CAREER ADVICE**

**All fifth years will be required to attend a short meeting**

**With their Head of House during the first week of the **

**Summer term, in which they will be given the opportunity**

**To discuss their future careers. Times of individual **

**Appointments are listed below.**

Ed and Al looked at the list to see that they were expected in Professor McGonagall's office on Monday morning. Al was expected at eleven, and Ed was expected at half-past eleven. They and the other fifth years spent a considerable amount of the final weekend of the Easter break reading all of the career information that had been left there for their perusal. Ed and Al sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the last day of the holiday while looking over the pamphlets.

"Well, I don't fancy Healing," Ron said, looking at leaflet that carried the crossed bone-and wand-emblem of St. Mungo's on its front. "It says here you need at least an E at NEWT level in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I mean…blimey…Don't want much, do they?"

"That's because it's a responsible job," Al pointed out. "Brother, what's Winry going for?"

"I think she said she wants to be a Healer or something," Ed replied, looking at a Wizard banking pamphlet. "But I told her to consider the people of Resembool first."

"That's not fair," Hermione said, looking up at Ed from the Muggle Relations leaflet she was reading. "Don't you think she should be able to do the things she wants?"

"Yeah, but she needs to think about the people from home," Ed answered, looking up at Hermione. "I mean, Granny isn't gonna live forever, and there needs to be someone there to provide auto-mail to the people there."

"Well, for your information, Edward," Hermione stated, "wizards and witches live a lot longer than ordinary humans. And Mrs. Rockbell is a witch, so there's no need to worry about her for a long while. Also I've never pegged you for a banker."

"I'm just looking," Ed said, putting down the leaflet. "Besides, it's not just banking, Hermione. It has adventure, travel, and danger. All the things that I like. In plus, no crappy uniforms."

Ed grinned. Hermione forced herself not to blush.

"Our uniforms aren't crappy!" Al protested. "Even you said one time that you liked the uniforms since it made Winry's --"

"Al!" Ed said loudly, blushing.

"Sorry!" Al apologized.

"Made Winry's what?" Ron asked.

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Ed snapped.

"Edward, what are you yelling about?" a voice asked.

Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked to see that it was Winry. She had just came back from the hospital wing. Winry was wearing a black tank top and a pair of khaki work pants. She had the khaki work shirt tied around her waist. Her hair was up in a ponytail with a green bandana tied on top of it.

"Nothing," Ed mumbled. "Winry, aren't you going to get into different clothes?"

"Why should I?" Winry asked. "I'm really hot from finishing up those limbs just now. And I still gotta change your limbs out."

"Why?" Ed asked. "Mine are workin' just fine."

"I guess you wanna trip all the time since you've grown a couple of inches," Winry remarked, her hands on her hips.

"I've grown?" Ed asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Yes, you have," Winry answered.

"Huh," Ed said, looking back down at the table.

Just then, Fred and George came over to the table and sat down.

"Looking good, Winry," Fred complimented, looking Winry up and down. "How'd you get past the toad queen and Filch?"

"She probably melted Filch," George remarked.

Winry frowned and then turned to Ed.

"I want you to come to the hospital wing first thing tomorrow morning, Edward," Winry ordered. "I've already spoken with Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. McGonagall won't mind that you might be late for your interview with her tomorrow since she knows that you're not serious about getting a job in this world."

Winry fanned herself with her hands.

"I'm going to go take a bath," Winry said. "See you later, guys. And don't get into any trouble."

Then Winry went to her dorm, got her clothes, went back down to the common room, and then left to the bath. Ed watched her leave out the common room as did Ron, Fred, George, and a few other boys. When Ed looked back to Al, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George, he glared at Ron, Fred, and George. Ron, Fred, and George stopped staring.

"Anyway, Harry," Fred said, stretching out his legs onto the table, causing some leaflets to fall to the floor, "Ginny's had a word with us about you. She says you need to talk to Sirius."

"What?" Hermione snapped, her hand freezing halfway toward picking up MAKE A BANG AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL ACCIDENTS AND CATASTROPHIES.

"Yeah…," Harry said, trying to sound casual, "yeah, I thought I'd like --"

"Don't be so ridiculous," Hermione snapped, straightening up and looking at Harry disbelievingly. "With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?"

"What's life without a little danger?" Ed grinned.

"Ed's right, Hermione," George agreed. "Besides, we think we can find a way around that. It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?"

"What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?" Fred continued after George. "No point at all, we answered ourselves. And, of course, we'd have messed up people's studying too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do."

He gave Hermione a sanctimonious nod, taking her aback. Ed scoffed.

"Brother!" Al scolded.

"But it's business as usual from tomorrow," Fred continued. "And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?"

"I think that's a good idea," Al commented.

"Thank you," Fred and George said.

"Yes, but _still_ even if you _do_ cause a diversion, how is Harry supposed to talk to him?" Hermione asked.

"Umbridge's office," Harry whispered.

"Are -- you -- insane?" Hermione whispered back.

"I don't think so," Harry shrugged.

"And how are you going to get in there in the first place?" Hermione asked.

"Sirius's knife," Harry answered

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

"Christmas before last, Sirius gave me a knife that'll open any lock," Harry replied. "So even if she's bewitched the door so _Alohomora _won't work, which I bet she has --"

"Alphonse, what do you think?" Hermione asked Al.

Al blinked.

"Well, I think it's Harry's decision," Al answered. "He can't be babied forever, Hermione."

"What do you think about this?" Hermione demanded of Ron as she wasn't happy with Al's answer.

"I think it's a great idea," Ed said.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Hermione snapped.

"Excuse me," Ed muttered.

"I dunno," Ron answered Hermione, alarmed at being asked to give an opinion. "If Harry wants to do it, it's up to him, isn't it?"

"Spoken like a true friend and Weasley," Fred said, clapping Ron on the back. "Right, then. We're thinking of doing it tomorrow, just after lessons, because it should cause maximum impact if everybody's in the corridors -- Harry, we'll set it off in the east wing somewhere, draw her right away from her own office -- I reckon we should be able to guarantee you, what, twenty minutes?"

Fred looked at George.

"Easy," George replied.

"What sort of diversion is it?" Al asked.

"You'll see, Alphonse," Fred answered, as he and George got up again. "At least you will if you trot along to Gregory the Smarmy's corridor around five o'clock tomorrow."


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

The next morning, Ed woke up pretty early. He got out of bed and got dressed. As Ed headed toward the dorm door, Harry got out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked.

"Where do you think?" Ed replied. "I'm goin' to the hospital wing. Winry's gotta change my auto-mail out."

"Right," Harry remembered. "See you later, Ed."

Ed waved and left the dorm. He went down to the common room to see that no one was in there. Ed sighed and left Gryffindor tower and went on his way to the hospital wing. As he walked, Ed felt as if someone or something were following him. He clapped his hands, formed the top of his right arm into a blade, and swung around, facing the person who followed him. He saw that it was…

"You jackass!" Ed yelled. "What the fuck are you following me for, Colonel?!"

"Calm down, Ed," Roy said. "I was just wondering where you were going."

"Not that it's any of your business," Ed answered, returning his arm to normal and walking again, "but I'm goin' to the hospital wing to get my auto-mail changed out."

"Why?" Roy asked, walking beside Ed. "You haven't grown any since I've been here."

Ed growled.

"SHUT UP!" Ed yelled. "I've grown a foot since I've been in this stupid school!"

"If you think this school is stupid, Mr. Elric, then why are you still here?" asked a simpering voice.

Ed and Roy turned. They had unknowingly passed Umbridge in the hall while walking to the hospital wing.

"That is none of your business, Professor," Roy answered.

"I disagree with that Professor Mustang," Umbridge said. "It is my business of what my pupils are doing."

"I don't think so, bitch," Ed said. "I'm not gonna tell you anything."

Then Ed walked off.

"Don't bother threatening me or Edward, Professor," Roy threatened. "We have what we call 'Diplomatic Immunity'. If you don't know what that is, get a dictionary. If you'll excuse me, I have a class to get ready for before going to breakfast."

Then Roy left. Umbridge frowned. A few minutes later, Ed got to the hospital wing and went in. Winry was waiting for him by a bed with a screen by it. Winry was wearing her Hogwarts uniform sans the cloak.

"Are you going to go to classes after torturing me?" Ed asked, grinning.

"Ed, don't be so dirty minded," Winry scowled. "And of course, I have to go to classes. I have to keep up so I won't fall behind like someone else I know."

Winry smiled as Ed frowned. He put his hands on his hips and looked away.

"I can't help it if Chocolate's got it in for me, Winry," Ed muttered.

Winry made Ed get by the bed and take off his shirt, pants, shoes, and socks. Then Winry had Ed sit down on the bed. Winry took off Ed's arm and leg and set them down by the new limbs that were on the night table.

"Okay, Ed, I'm going to use magic to put them on you," Winry told Ed.

Ed shrugged. Winry flicked her wand at the new limbs and then at Ed. A moment later, Ed was grunting in pain as the limbs had connected themselves to the ports on his body. He lay down on the bed and Winry covered him with the sheet and blanket. Ed was fast asleep in seconds. Winry smiled softly at Ed and picked up the old auto-mail and then drew the curtain around the bed so Ed could have privacy while he slept. Madam Pomfrey came to her.

"Did everything go well, Miss Rockbell?" Pomfrey asked.

"Yeah, he's just sleeping," Winry answered. "He'll probably be asleep for half the day."

"Do you want me to take the used limbs?" Pomfrey asked.

"No, thank you," Winry replied. "I'll just send these back to Granny so she can break them apart and reuse them."

Then Winry bade Pomfrey a good day and then left the hospital wing. Winry went back to Gryffindor tower, into the common room, and up to the sixth year girls' dormitory where she wrapped up the auto-mail limbs. Winry then put her cloak on and got the package and went to the Owlery after leaving the Gryffindor common room. Winry had then sent Sara with the auto-mail to Pinako. After doing so, Winry went down to the Great Hall and sat down by Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Al. Harry and Ron were trying to ignore Hermione's insistent whispering. Al was successfully tuning Hermione out as he was staring down into his oatmeal while his chin was propped up on his left hand and was stirring his oatmeal absentmindedly with his right hand.

"Hermione, why are you harpin' on Harry for?" Winry asked, getting herself some toast and sausage.

"I see that you're wearing proper clothes this morning," Hermione commented, looking at Winry.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Winry asked.

"Nothing," Hermione denied loftily.

Winry sighed and poured herself some coffee.

"You didn't answer my first question," Winry reminded.

"Harry has this stupid idea of wanting to use Umbridge's fire to contact Snuffles," Hermione answered.

"How will he be able to do that?" Winry asked.

"Fred and George are going to create a diversion," Ron answered.

"Hermione is trying to get me to drop it," Harry said. "But Fred and George have already--"

"If they want to get into trouble, then let them," Hermione interrupted. "It doesn't mean you have to, Harry."

"What do Ed and Al think of it?" Winry asked.

"They think it's my choice," Harry answered. "And it _is_ my decision, don't you think, Winry?"

"Of course, it's your decision, Harry," Winry agreed. "Hermione, you've got to stop trying to shelter everybody. People have got to do things for themselves."

Hermione pursed her lips at Winry's comment.

"She's got a point, you know," Ron pointed out.

Hermione shot a glare at Ron. Then she looked at Al. Winry looked at Al as well. Al looked as though he were deep in thought. Hermione blushed lightly as she thought Al looked cute with his nose scrunched up and his mouth in a small pout. Hermione mentally shook herself. What was getting into her? Al was now with Cho. At least he was just before Easter Break began.

"Are you all right, Alphonse?" Winry asked.

Al blinked and looked up at Winry.

"Hm?" Al asked, putting his left hand down and stopping the absentminded stirring.

"I asked if you were all right," Winry said.

"Oh," Al said, blushing in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something, that's all."

"That's all right, Al," Winry reassured. "Everybody has a right to think."

Al nodded.

"Did you change Brother's auto-mail yet, Winry?" Al asked.

"Yeah, he's sleeping right now," Winry answered. "He went right out."

"Well, Brother has been studying a lot for the O.W.L. exams," Al reasoned. "And Brother hasn't had to study like that ever since the written exams for the National Certification."

"National Certification?" Ron asked.

"Yes, you have to take a test to be a State Alchemist for Amestris," Al explained. "But first, you have to interview with the Fuhrer and then it's the written test, the physical, and then you have to do a skill test. But Brother skipped the skill test since he pointed a spear at the Fuhrer's throat. He should have…"

A dark expression came over Al's face. Al then cleared his throat and grinned.

"Anyway, it's a long process," Al continued as if he hadn't had a dark look on his face. "I think Colonel Mustang will explain it to everyone sooner or later."

"I'd rather it be sooner than later," Ron said.

"Alphonse, are you all right?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Al grinned. "Nothing is wrong."

Hermione didn't say anything.

"Harry, can I talk to you later?" Al asked, looking at Harry.

"If it's about Cho --" Harry started.

"It's not about Cho," Al interrupted.

"Er, sure," Harry answered. "What do you --?"

But before Harry could answer, Al left to go to Professor Binn's class. In History of Magic, Al was able to tune out Hermione's whispering to Harry about using Umbridge's office fire and write notes for him and Ed. When the class ended, Al immediately went to Professor McGonagall's office and sat down in front of her desk.

"Am I late?" Al asked politely.

"Not at all, Mr. Elric," McGonagall answered. "I would tell you to sit, but you already have."

Al blushed in embarrassment. He stopped blushing as soon as he had heard someone sniffing behind him. Al looked to see that it was Professor Umbridge sitting in a corner with a clipboard on her knee, a funny little pie-frill around her neck. McGonagall shuffled the many pamphlets littering her desk.

"Well, Mr. Elric," McGonagall said, causing Al to look at her, "this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into sixth and seventh years. Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you graduate Hogwarts?"

Al was finding the scratching noise from behind him very distracting.

"Well?" McGonagall prompted.

"I haven't really thought about it," Al replied.

"Well, you must have found something that interests you," McGonagall urged.

"Well, I'm not really for sure," Al said. "Winry wants to be a Healer specializing in Auto-mail prosthetics, and Brother was considering being a curse-breaker for Gringotts."

"But what about _you_?" McGonagall asked.

"I don't know," Al answered.

"Do you have a favorite subject?" McGonagall asked.

"I like Alchemy," Al replied. "I would like to be a State Alchemist, but Brother probably wouldn't let me be one. So I might consider being an Auror."

"All right, now we are getting somewhere," McGonagall said, extracting a small, dark leaflet from under the mass on her desk and opening it. "You will need top grades for that. They ask for a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations' grade, I see. Then you would be required to undergo a stringent series of character and aptitude tests at the Auror office. It's a difficult career path, Elric; they only take the best. In fact, I don't think anybody has been taken on in the last three years."

At this moment, Professor Umbridge gave a very tiny cough, as though she was trying to see how quietly she could do it. McGonagall ignored her.

"You'll want to know which subjects you ought to take, I suppose?" McGonagall went on, talking a little more loudly than before.

"Yes," Al answered. "Defense Against the Dark Arts, right?"

"Naturally," McGonagall answered crisply.

Umbridge gave another cough, a little more audible this time. McGonagall closed her eyes for a moment, opened them again, and continued as though nothing had happened.

"I would also advise Transfiguration, because Aurors frequently need to Transfigure or Untransfigure in their work," McGonagall went on. "And you are doing very excellently in my class, Alphonse, averaging 'Outstanding' at the moment. Then you ought to do Charms, always useful, and Potions. Poisons and antidotes are essential study for Aurors. And you are also doing well in Potions, averaging an Outstanding. Of course, your Alchemy will be a big help as well --"

Professor Umbridge gave her most pronounced cough yet.

"May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?" McGonagall snapped, not looking at Umbridge.

"Oh no, thank you very much," Umbridge simpered. "I just wondered whether I could make the teeniest interruption, Minerva?"

"I daresay you'll find you can," McGonagall said through clenched teeth.

"I was just wondering whether Mr. Elric has _quite_ the temperament for an Auror?" said Umbridge sweetly.

"Were you?" McGonagall retorted. "Well, Elric, even though you haven't been with us for your first four years, your testing in the Defense subject -- _are you quite sure you wouldn't like a cough drop, Dolores?!_"

"Oh, no need, thank you, Minerva," Umbridge simpered, who had just coughed her loudest yet. "I was just concerned that you might not have Alphonse's most recent Defense Against the Dark Arts marks in front of you. I'm quite sure I slipped in a note…"

"What, this thing?" McGonagall asked with repulsion, pulling out a sheet of pink parchment from between the leaves of Al's folder.

She glanced down it, her eyebrows slightly raised, then placed it back into the folder without comments.

"Yes, as I was saying, Elric," McGonagall went on, "your Defense marks in the testing were remarkable. Professor --"

"Did you not understand my note, Minerva?" Umbridge asked.

"Of course I understood it," McGonagall replied.

"Well, then, I am confused," Umbridge stated. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand how you can give Mr. Elric false hope that --"

"False hope?" McGonagall asked, still refusing to look at Umbridge. "He has achieved high marks on his entrance exam to Hogwarts."

"I'm terribly sorry, but it seems that is the only good score he has achieved, Minerva, as you have seen from my note," Umbridge said. "Alphonse has been very poor in his classes with me. He sometimes falls asleep in my class, and his brother does not wake him until after class has ended."

"How can the boy help it if the only thing that's done in the class is reading a book?" said McGonagall.

"Excuse me, but I've already read the book before classes started," Al spoke up. "I know I should have waited, but I like reading."

"See there, Dolores?" McGonagall pointed out.

"What kind of character and aptitude tests do the Ministry give?" Al asked, hoping to stop an oncoming argument.

McGonagall looked at Al.

"You'll need to demonstrate the ability to react well to pressure and so forth," McGonagall answered, ignoring Umbridge, "perseverance and dedication, because Auror training takes a further three years, not to mention very high skills in practical defense. It will mean a lot more study even after you've left school, so unless you're prepared to --"

"I think you'll also find," Umbridge interrupted, "that the Ministry looks into the records of those applying to be Aurors. Their criminal records."

" -- unless you're prepared to take even more exams after Hogwarts, you should really look at another profession," McGonagall continued as though she weren't interrupted.

"I don't mind exams," Al said. "And do they really look into the criminal records?"

"Yes, but you'll have nothing to worry about, Elric," McGonagall assured.

"But I got into trouble at school in Resembool and got detention a couple of times," Al admitted.

"What did you do to get detention?" McGonagall asked.

"I let the class pets out of their cages because I thought they looked sad being in their cages," Al answered.

McGonagall let loose a small smile.

"Don't worry, Elric, that won't count against you," McGonagall reassured. "Why don't you go to class?"

"Can I go visit my brother instead?" Al asked.

Before McGonagall could answer, her office door opened.

**Author's Note:** I know it's a cliff-hanger, but I couldn't help it! Anyway, I hope you liked these chapters! Merry Christmas!!!!! Happy Holidays!!!!!


	31. Chapter 31

**Author's Note:** I hope everyone had a great holiday! I'm kinda disappointed that no one got the DBZ reference...but I guess not many people watch it anymore. Anyway, the reference is the name Ed calls Firenze. Ed called Firenze "Freezer" and "Freezer" is what they called Freiza in the Japanese dialogue of DragonBall Z. Anyway, I hope you like these chapters! Review!

**Chapter Thirty-One**

The office door opened. McGonagall, Al, and Umbridge looked to see who it was in the doorway to see that it was…

"Brother?" Al asked. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

Ed straightened his cloak as he came into the room.

"Don't worry so much about me, Al," Ed wove off. "I'm fine."

Ed ruffled Al's hair. Al stiffened and ran out of the room.

"Al!" Ed called out.

"Don't worry about him," Umbridge said. "He'll be fine."

Ed scowled and sat down in Al's vacated seat.

"So, Mr. Elric," McGonagall said. "Your brother was saying that you were interested in becoming a curse breaker for Gringotts."

Ed grinned.

"Yeah, it sounds like fun," Ed answered.

'_Like fighting Hagrid's stupid brother,'_ Ed thought.

As Ed spoke to McGonagall, Al ran all the way to the hospital wing. When Al got to the hospital wing, he burst through the doors and went in. Pomfrey looked at Al as he looked around for Ed.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing?!" Pomfrey demanded.

"Is my brother in here?" Al asked.

"Of course he is," Pomfrey answered. "He's still resting from his limbs being changed out this morning."

"Can I see him?" Al requested.

"Yes, he's behind that curtain," Pomfrey allowed. "Just don't wake him if he's not already awake."

Al went to the curtained bed that Pomfrey motioned towards and pulled the curtain back to see his brother sleeping soundly on his back with the covers kicked off and his stomach exposed and his left hand on his stomach. Al sighed.

"Winry, I don't want milk," Ed whined in his sleep.

Ed turned on his side, his back facing Al. Al covered Ed back up and then froze.

'_If Brother is safe here, then who or what was disguising them self as Brother?'_ Al thought.

Then Al ran off again. Pomfrey put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"That boy," Pomfrey muttered to herself.

Al went to Potions and sat down by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"You are late, Elric," Snape drawled.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Al answered. "I was just at my meeting with Professor McGonagall."

"Where is your insufferable brother?" Snape asked.

"He's in the hospital wing," Al replied.

Snape didn't say anything, and then…

"We are doing the Invigoration Draught," Snape finally said. "Get started."

"Yes, sir," Al obeyed.

Then Al quickly got his supplies out and started working on the potion that was assigned. Luckily, Al was able to catch up. Unluckily, Al had to listen to Hermione hiss warnings to Harry.

"Will you SHUT UP?!" Al whispered to Hermione. "If Harry wants to do it, then nothing you say will change his mind!"

Hermione looked taken aback as Ron and Harry looked from Al to Hermione and then at each other. Hermione stopped whispering and went back to her potion. About ten minutes later, Umbridge came into the room and went to Snape, who was observing a Slytherin's potion. Snape straightened up and turned to her.

"Yes?" Snape asked.

"I need to speak with Alphonse Elric," Umbridge requested.

"Yes, headmistress," Snape muttered, then raising his voice after looking at Al, "Mr. Elric, go with Professor Umbridge. You will receive no marks today."

"But --" Al started.

"Go," Snape interrupted.

Then Umbridge went to Al and grabbed him by the upper arm.

"Come on, Mr. Elric," Umbridge said, momentarily glancing at Harry then looking back at Al. "Let's go."

Then Umbridge dragged Al out of the room and out of the castle. Umbridge then took Al into the forest. After a few minutes, they both reached a clearing where Lust was sitting on a rock while looking at what seemed to look like a moving rock. With a closer look, Al saw that it wasn't a moving rock but a 'small' sleeping, giant that was sixteen feet tall. The giant looked strangely misshapen.

What Al had taken to be a vast mossy boulder to the left of the great earthen mound he now recognized as the giant's head. It was much larger in proportion to the body than a human head, almost perfectly round and covered with tightly curling, close-growing hair the color of bracken. The rim of a single large, fleshy ear was visible on top of the head, which seemed to sit directly upon the shoulders with little or no neck in between. The back, under what looked like a dirty brownish smock comprised of animal skins sewn roughly together, was very broad, and as the giant slept, it seemed to strain a little at the rough seams of the skins. The legs were curled up under the body. Al could see the soles of enormous, filthy, bare feet, large as sledges, resting one on top of the other on the earthy forest floor.

"Envy," Lust said, looking at Umbridge and Al while standing, "will you, please, transform back into your normal form? You are disgusting me."

"Fine, fine," Umbridge said, letting go of Al's arm.

Al watched in shock as he watched Umbridge turn into the androgynous form of Envy.

"Homunculi…," Al muttered.

"Very good, Alphonse," Lust congratulated. "Father said that you would be able to recognize us."

"But homunculi don't exist!" Al protested. "It's --"

"Not impossible," Lust interrupted. "We are homunculi. Father said that you are somewhat like a homunculus as well."

"I am not!" Al protested. "I am HUMAN!"

"Of course you are," Lust said, going over to Al and putting a hand on his cheek. "Father just said 'like' because you have the Philosopher's Stone inside of your body. In fact, you are like your dear father."

"What do you mean?" Al asked, looking down. "How can I have the Philosopher's Stone in my body if I used it to become…?"

"Human again?" Lust finished, putting her fingers underneath Al's chin and making him look up at her.

Al nodded slightly.

"Well, it's a funny story," Lust said. "When you were getting your body back from Truth, your body absorbed the Philosopher's Stone."

"How?" Al asked.

"Only Father and your father knows that," Envy replied.

"But why are you telling me all of this?" Al asked. "I might tell Brother and Winry!"

"Oh, we know you will," Lust said. "Which is why we want you to swear that you keep your mouth shut and not tell Colonel Mustang about it or we will kill him too."

"What do you mean?" Al asked. "And who is that, another homunculus?"

"No, that's Hagrid's stupid half-brother, Grawp, or whatever the fathead's name is," Envy answered.

"Is Fuhrer Bradley a homunculus?" Al asked.

"Has Harry dear told you the dream?" Lust asked.

"No, but I --" Al started.

"Yeah, he is," Envy interrupted. "But I bet you knew that already."

"Do we have your word that you won't tell Colonel Mustang?" Lust asked, shooting an angry glance at Envy.

"Who have you killed?" Al demanded. "Was it Hughes?"

"Just give us your word," Lust ordered.

"O-okay," Al replied. "We won't tell him."

"Good boy," Lust smiled.

Then Lust kissed Al on the lips, making him blush, and turned around, waving.

"We'll be watching you," Lust said. "Go back to school now."

Al watched as Lust and Envy left. Al stood there for a few minutes until a centaur by the name of Magorian came to him.

"What are you doing here, human boy?" Magorian asked. "Humans are not --"

"S--sorry," Al muttered.

Al turned on his heel and ran all the way out of the forest. Once out of the forest, Al ran up to the castle, ignoring Hagrid's greeting. Al ran into the castle and all the way to Gryffindor Tower. He stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady and caught his breath.

"My, Alphonse, dear, what's wrong?" the Fat Lady asked.

"Nothing," Al lied. "Pear drops."

The Fat Lady looked Al up and down and then swung forward. Al stumbled into the common room and looked around. Then he went over to a table by the windows.

"Winry," Al said.

Winry, who was working on an assignment while petting Pegasus, looked up and at Al.

"Al, you startled -- what's wrong?" Winry said.

"I -- I know what happened to brother," Al replied, starting to get upset. "I know what's wrong with me… I'm a … a…"

"A what, Alphonse?" Winry asked.

"I'm a freak," Al answered, dropping into the chair across from Winry and sobbing.

"Al," Winry comforted, getting up from her seat and going to Al and hugging him. "You are not a freak."

Al got out of Winry's hold and stared at her.

"I'm a Philosopher's Stone!" Al said.


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's Note:** I don't know if anyone watches Saturday Night Live, but there's an SNL reference in here.

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

"I'm a Philosopher's Stone!" Al said.

A look of concern crossed Winry's face, and then Winry smiled.

"Al, have you been reading your Transfiguration book before bed again?" Winry asked.

"I'm telling the truth, Winry," Al insisted.

"But how could you, Al?" Winry asked, concern written all over her face. "We haven't seen your dad in ages, and he's the only one who'd know what's --"

"He's not the only one, Winry," Al interrupted. "When Brother gets out of the hospital wing, I need to speak to him and you together. Maybe Harry, Ron, and Hermione too."

"Why should we talk with them about it if they didn't want to tell us anything about Harry's dream?" Winry scowled.

"Because Harry will be able to fill in the blanks," Al replied. "If he doesn't, then we're gonna force him to. We are not going to be in the dark anymore."

"All right," Winry said. "But, Al, you are not a freak, okay? You know how Ed doesn't like it when you talk about yourself that way."

"But it's true, Winry, I'm a freak," Al insisted.

"You are not!" Winry snapped. "Now stop talking like that, or I will hit you with my wrench! I might even tell Edward!"

Al looked down and nodded.

"Now, come on," Winry said. "Let's go get some lunch, okay?"

"I'm not hungry," Al declined.

"That was not a question, Al," Winry demanded. "You _are_ coming to lunch."

Then Winry took Al's hand and dragged him out of the common room and all the way down to the Great Hall. They grabbed seats by Harry, Dean, and Seamus.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Al asked.

"Nothing," Harry grumbled.

A few minutes later, they were joined by a yawning Ed. Ed squeezed in between Al and Winry.

"Are you all right, Brother?" Al asked.

"Yeah, just a little tired still," Ed answered.

"How can you be tired?" Seamus asked. "You slept all morning."

"You wouldn't be asking that if you had auto-mail," Ed replied, muttering.

"I sure don't envy you, Ed," Dean remarked.

"I don't care," Ed said. "So, Al, what did you tell McGonagall what you wanted to be?"

"An Auror," Al answered. "I told her that you were considering to be a Curse Breaker for Gringotts."

"Hm, I've gotta see her later," Ed said.

"Why?" Al asked.

"So I won't get into trouble!" Ed exclaimed. "I don't want her telling Colonel Sarcasm about that or --"

"Or what, FullMetal?" Roy asked, standing behind Harry.

"You know exactly what, Colonel Bastard," Ed replied. "You'll have me kicked out of the military!"

"Ed, don't be melodramaculous," Roy brushed off, then taking out an envelope and handing it to Ed. "I just got this from the Fuhrer today. He wants an immediate reply."

"There is no such word as melodramaculous, Colonel Idiot," Ed said, snatching the envelope from Roy. "And why didn't he send it directly to me?"

"I don't know, FullMetal," Roy answered. "There's something in there for Alphonse as well."

"Like what?" Ed asked suspiciously.

"I don't know," Roy replied. "If I did know, I wouldn't tell you anyway."

Ed scowled and started to open the envelope until Roy spoke up.

"Don't open it at the table, FullMetal," Roy instructed.

"Why?" Ed asked.

"Don't ask questions," Roy answered. "I want you three," he pointed at Ed, Al, and Winry, "and Harry," Roy looked at Harry, "to come to my office tonight at six o'clock. I've already told Ronald and Hermione to come. Be there."

Then Roy left the table and went to the faculty table and sat down by McGonagall. Ed looked at the faculty table and then at Winry, Al, and Harry.

"What do you think that's about?" Seamus asked.

"Beats me," Ed muttered.

After lunch, Harry was going with Ed and Al to Divination until Ed spoke up.

"Harry, you've got your meeting with Professor McGonagall to go to," Ed reminded.

"Oh, thanks, Ed," Harry said.

Then Harry ran to McGonagall's office. To Ed, the Divination class was uninteresting and boring, so he had fell asleep in the class. Firenze didn't even bother to have Al or Ron try to wake Ed up since Firenze thought if Ed didn't want to learn the centaur's Divination then he shouldn't try to force the human boy into stay awake to learn it. At the end of class, Al woke Ed and they went on their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts along with Ron.

"You better be glad that Hermione doesn't take the class as well, or she would be making sure you would stay awake," Ron pointed out.

"Hermione just needs to mind her own business," Ed voiced. "I guarantee that once we get into Defense Against the Dark Arts and Harry is there, she will start goin' on and on about how Harry shouldn't use the toad bitch's fireplace."

"Al told Hermione off in Potions," Ron said.

Ed looked at Al. Al looked down.

"I just couldn't stand her going on like that," Al muttered. "She just doesn't get that everyone needs to make their own decisions. I guess that's one of the reasons why you and Winry can't stand her, Brother."

"Yup," Ed confirmed.

A few moments later, they arrived at Umbridge's classroom and sat down by Hermione. They were joined by Harry a moment later. And as Ron predicted, Hermione started in on giving Harry warnings.

"Hermione, lay the fuck off, all right?" Ed angrily whispered to Hermione in the middle of class. "Harry's a big boy. He can make his own decisions."

Hermione looked at Ed, her mouth open wide in shock. She then looked at Ron.

"Sorry, Hermione, but I agree with Ed," Ron said. "If Harry wants to use Umbridge's fire, then there's nothing you can say to make him change his mind."

Hermione didn't say anything for the rest of the class. At the end of class, Hermione left ahead of Harry, Ron, Ed, and Al.

"She'll get over it," Ed assured Harry, as they and Al and Ron left the classroom. "She just doesn't want to accept the fact that you've gotta take risks sometimes."

"That's true," Ron agreed.

They were halfway along the corridor outside when they heard the unmistakable sounds of a diversion going off in the distance. There were screams and yells reverberating from somewhere above them. People exiting the classrooms all around were stopping in their tracks and looking up at the ceiling fearfully --

Then Umbridge came pelting out of her classroom as fast as her short legs would carry her. Pulling out her wand, she hurried off in the opposite direction.

"Good luck, Harry," Al bade as Harry ran off.

"Let's go see what all the ruckus is about," Ed said.

"All right," Al agreed.

Then he, Ed, and Ron went on their way to find out what the commotion was.

When Harry found his way to the entrance hall a few minutes later, he saw that everyone was gathered there, watching as Umbridge spoke to Fred and George. It was just like the night when Trelawney and Izumi were sacked. Students were standing all around the walls in a great ring (some of them, Harry noticed, covered in a substance that looked very like Stinksap); teachers and ghosts were also in the crowd. Prominent among the on-lookers were members of the Inquisitorial Squad, who were all looking exceptionally pleased with themselves, and Peeves, who was bobbing overhead, gazed down upon Fred and George, who stood in the middle of the floor with the unmistakable look of two people who had just been cornered. Harry could see Ed, Al, Winry, Ron, and Roy standing together along with Hermione. Roy was one of the people who had been covered in the sticky substance.

"So!" Umbridge said triumphantly, standing just a few stairs if front of Harry. "So… you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah," said Fred, looking back up at her without the slightest sign of fear.

Filch elbowed his way closer to Umbridge, almost crying with happiness.

"I've got the form, Headmistress," Filch said hoarsely, waving a piece of parchment he had taken from Umbridge's desk. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting… Oh, let me do it now…"

"Very good, Argus," Umbridge approved. "You two," she went on, gazing down at Fred and George, "are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what?" Fred said. "I don't think we are."

He turned to George.

"George, I think we've outgrown full-time education," Fred told George.

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," George agreed.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" Fred asked.

"Definitely," George agreed again.

And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together, "_Accio Brooms_!"

There was a loud crash somewhere in the distance. Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall, were hurtling along the corridor toward their owners. They turned left, streaked down the stairs, and stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor.

"We won't be seeing you," Fred told Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.

"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch," George added, mounting his broom.

Fred looked around at the assembled students and at the silent, watchful crowd.

"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley -- Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes," Fred said loudly. "Our new premises!"

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students," George continued, looking at Ed and Roy for a moment, "and Military personnel," then looking and pointing at Umbridge, "who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat!"

"STOP THEM!" Umbridge shrieked.

But it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, Fred and George kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below. Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level about the crowd.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves," Fred instructed.

And Peeves, whom had never taken an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.

"Did they have to do something so cheesy?" Ed muttered underneath his breath.

"Tell me about it," Winry agreed.

"I'll say," Roy agreed as well.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Half an hour later, Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the office that was Izumi's but was now Roy's. Unlike Izumi, Roy hadn't put any pictures in the office to personalize it but had the flag of Amestris draped above the fireplace. Other than that, the office was plain and dull.

"Have we done anything wrong, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"No, you have not," Roy assured, standing from his seat and going to the fireplace.

Ed rolled his eyes.

"Cut to the chase and tell us what you want already," Ed snapped.

Roy turned and looked at him.

"Professor Dumbledore told me that you were attacked, FullMetal," Roy said. "He also said that Harry had a dream and was about to tell him about it until Professor Umbridge came and requested Harry come with her."

"Where are you going at, Colonel?" Ed snapped.

"I want to know what the hell is going on," Roy replied. "I know that something is going on and I demand answers."

"What makes you think we know anything, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Ed, open that envelope," Roy demanded.

"Why?" Ed asked.

"Do it!" Roy ordered.

"All right, don't get all bitchy," Ed remarked, taking the envelope out from his robe pocket.

Ed opened the envelope and pulled out two pieces of parchment. He gave the one with Al's name on it to Al and read the one addressed to him.

"Dear Lieutenant Colonel Edward Thomas Elric, the FullMetal Alchemist," Ed read out loud. "Blah…blah…blah…WHAT?!"

"What?" Roy asked.

"That stupid son-of-a…" Ed grumbled as he wadded the letter up into a ball.

Ed stood up and threw the letter into the fire.

"What is it, FullMetal?" Roy asked.

Ed yanked off his State Alchemist pocket watch and slammed it onto Roy's desk.

"You can tell that son-of-a-bitch Fuhrer that I quit!" Ed fumed. "If you want answers, Colonel, you might as well forget it! Harry told Hermione and Ron the dream, but he hasn't told me, Al, or Winry! So --"

"Fuhrer Bradley is a homunculus!" Al blurted out.

Everyone looked at Al in shock.

"That's a pretty bad accusation, Alphonse," Roy said.

"It's true," Al muttered. "I heard it from two other homunculi. One is called Envy and the other is --"

"Lust," Harry completed.

Then everyone looked at Harry.

"They told me that if I told anyone my dream that they would kill Sirius and Lupin," Harry admitted. "That's why I didn't want to tell anyone else. They knew exactly where Sirius and Lupin were at. I don't know how they know."

"What was the dream?" Winry asked.

"Fuhrer Bradley and this guy named 'Father' are with Voldemort," Harry said. "Fuhrer Bradley said that Ed, Al, and Professor Curtis were sacrifices and that they can't be harmed. He also said that Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was killed because he found out about their plans. And he also said that Al has a heightened awareness now. That father guy didn't tell him why though."

"It's because my body absorbed the Philosopher's Stone," Al said, Ed looking at him. "I was told by Lust that when I was getting my body back, the Philosopher's Stone got absorbed into my body. She said…she said I was like one of them."

"You are NOT one of them, Al!" Ed said. "You are a human!"

"What is a homunca-whatever?" Ron asked. "And why --?"

"We are homunculi, boy," a seductive voice said.

Everyone looked to the doorway to see Lust and Envy standing there. They had somehow come into the room without anyone noticing. Ron blushed at the sight of Lust.

"You promised you wouldn't tell anyone, Alphonse, Harry," Lust pouted.

"Who should we have killed first, Lust?" Envy asked. "We can kill that Rockbell girl."

Ed and Al moved in front of Winry.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her," Ed snarled, his golden eyes flashing.

"You have such gorgeous eyes," Lust complimented. "Don't worry, we won't kill her…yet. She's still needed for you. Besides, Edward, you can't quit."

"Oh, yeah?" Ed asked. "Why can't I quit?"

"Because if you quit, not only will Winry be killed, so will her grandmother and the whole town of Resembool," Lust answered. "And maybe even…the whole town of Dublith…"

"Stay away from --!" Ed started.

"Be quiet," Lust said, suddenly extending her forefinger and middle finger into lances and formed them into a 'V' around Ed's neck, leaving not even an inch to spare. "If you don't behave, I can twist my hand even slightly, and well…you know what will happen, right? Of course I can't kill you or Alphonse, but I _can_ kill your precious girlfriend, Edward."

Ed growled.

"Good boy," Lust said. "We need you to stay with the military for reasons we cannot explain. And don't worry about what Wrath wants you to do…you can take your time. You do have two more years to get it done."

"Wh-what if I don't do it?" Ed asked.

"Oh, you'll do it," Lust said, her fingers touching Ed's skin. "You have to. Now," she retracted her fingers, "be a good boy and pick your watch back up and put it back on. Now."

Ed went to Roy's desk and got his watch and clipped it back onto his belt buckle.

"Good," Lust said. "We won't be killing anyone this time, but if you alert the Order of the Phoenix -- yes, Harry, we know about the Order -- then we _will_ kill everyone you know. Agreed?"

"Why did you kill Hughes?" Roy demanded. "He had a family!"

"We know that," Lust said, putting her hands up. "But when we have orders, we have orders. Besides, he would have ruined everything if we didn't kill him."

Then she and Envy left.

"What was it that Fuhrer Bradley asked you to do?" Winry asked.

"It's best you don't know," Ed muttered.

Then he left the room. Al followed and they both went on their way up to the fifth year boy dormitory after getting to Gryffindor Tower and common room. Once in the dorm, Ed and Al sat on the sides of their beds.

"What did the letter say, Al?" Ed asked.

"Fuhrer Bradley, Wrath, wants me to be a State Alchemist, to make sure that I don't make any plans to join the wizarding work place," Al answered. "It probably has something to do with their plan."

"I don't _want_ you to be a State Alchemist, Alphonse!" Ed protested. "You have --"

"If I don't join, Big Brother, I'm going to be sent to the labs like Lust said," Al interrupted, then lowering his voice. "I don't want that to happen. I don't want to be put under a microscope."

Ed didn't say anything and sighed.

"I'm a freak," Al mumbled.

"You are _not_ a freak!" Ed insisted.

"I am so!" Al said. "I'm the Philosopher's Stone."

"It doesn't mean you're a freak, Al," Ed insisted again. "It just means that you have more abilities than anyone would usually have. You're like a superhero or something. You know, like Super Dude or whatever."

"Superman," Al corrected.

"Whatever," Ed brushed off. "There's nothing you should be freakin' out about, all right? Whenever that bastard comes to try to see us again, you can ask him about it."

"You mean Dad?" Al asked.

"Yeah, or you can talk to the horse dude Freezer about it," Ed suggested.

"He's a centaur, Big Brother," Al corrected again. "And his name is Firenze."

"Close," Ed shrugged off, then turning serious. "Al, we can't let what those homunculi control us. And I'm certainly not gonna do what the stupid Fuhrer told me to do. It's…"

"What did he ask you to do?" Al asked.

"To make a bloody crest around Hogwarts," Ed answered. "He offered a Philosopher's Stone, but I'm not goin' to do it."

"Of course not," Al said. "I -- I'm goin' to sleep, Big Brother, I'm tired."

"Go ahead," Ed said.

Al changed into his pajamas, got into bed, and instantly fell asleep. Ed sighed. He changed into his pajamas, got into bed, and fell asleep as well.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

The story of Fred and George's flight to freedom was retold so often over the next few days that it was able to have been told it would be the stuff of Hogwarts legend. Within a week, even those who had been eyewitnesses were half-convinced that they had seen the twins dive-bomb Umbridge on their brooms, pelting her with Dungbombs before zooming out of the doors before zooming out of the doors. In the immediate aftermath of their departure there was a great wave of talk about copying them, so that students frequently said things like, "Honestly, some days I just feel like jumping on my broom and leaving this place," or else, "One more lesson like that and I might just do a Weasley…"

Fred and George had made sure that nobody was likely to forget them very soon. For one thing, they had not left instructions on how to remove the swamp that now filled the corridor on the fifth floor of the east wing. Umbridge and Filch had been observed trying different means of removing it but without success. Eventually the area was roped off and Filch, gnashing his teeth furiously, was given the task of punting students across it to their classrooms. Filch roamed the halls to see if he could catch any troublemakers, but there were so many that he didn't know where to turn. The Inquisitorial Squad tried to help him, but odd things kept on happening to them.

Fred and George had also sold a lot of Skiving Snackboxes before leaving Hogwarts so the students could skip Umbridge's class. They called their 'illnesses' "Umbridge-itis". Peeves was also causing a lot of problems, keeping his promise to Fred and George. To cap matters, Montague had still not covered from his sojourn in the toilet. He remained confused and disorientated and his parents were to be observed one Tuesday morning striding up the front drive looking extremely angry.

"Should we say something?" Hermione asked worriedly, pressing her cheek against the Charms window so that she could see Mr. and Mrs. Montague marching inside. "About what happened to him? In case it helps Madam Pomfrey cure him?"

"He'll be fine," Ed brushed off.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, looking satisfied.

He, Ron, Ed, and Al all tapped the teacups they were supposed to be charming with their wands. Ed and Al's both grew four steady legs and started running around, Harry's spouted four very short legs that would not reach the desk and wriggled pointlessly in midair, and Ron's grew four very thin spindly legs that hoisted the cup off the desk with great difficulty, trembled for a few seconds, then folded, causing the cup to crack into two.

"_Reparo!_" Hermione said quickly, mending Ron's cup with a wave of her wand. "That's all very well, but what if Montague's permanently injured?"

"I seriously doubt it, Hermione," Al said. "He's just still confused. Anybody would be. We've gotta think about other things…more important things."

"We can't keep thinking about what 'Lust' and 'Envy' told us, Alphonse," Hermione stated. "We just can't or we'll be going mad."

"So, you haven't been thinking about it?" Ed asked in a skeptical tone, a golden eyebrow raised.

"Of course I have," Hermione admitted, stuttering just a bit. "But who knows if they're telling the truth?"

"They are, Hermione," Harry said. "I believe what they told us. They know exactly where Snuffles and Professor Lupin are at. They threatened to kill them and Ron if I told anyone what they said to me."

"Well, we should tell Professor McGonagall about it so she can somehow tell Professor Dumbledore," Hermione stated.

"No!" Al insisted. "That will only make it worse. We have to keep it quiet so we won't endanger anyone."

"Lust said something happening about the end of our sixth year," Harry remembered.

"Let's not worry about that now," Ron said. "We should just be worrying about me right now."

"Why?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron.

"Because when Mum's next letter finally gets through Umbridge's screening process," Ron started bitterly, now holding his cup up while its frail legs tried feebly to support its weight, "I'm going to be in deep trouble. I wouldn't be surprised if she's sent a Howler again."

"But--" Hermione started.

"It'll be my fault Fred and George left, you wait," Ron continued. "She'll say I should've stopped them leaving, I should've grabbed the ends of their brooms and hung on or something…Yeah, it'll be my fault…"

"Well, if she _does_ say something like that it'll be very unfair," Hermione replied. "You couldn't have done anything! But I'm sure she won't, I mean, if it's really true they've got premises in Diagon Alley now, they must have been planning this for ages…"

"Yeah, but that's another thing, how did they get premises?" Ron pointed out, hitting his teacup so hard with his wand that its legs collapsed again and it lay twitching in front of him. "It's a bit dodgy, isn't it? They'll need loads of Galleons to afford the rent on a place in Diagon Alley, she'll want to know what they've been up to, to get their hands on that sort of gold…"

"Well, yes, that occurred to me too," Hermione agreed, allowing her teacup to jog in neat little circles around Harry's, whose stubby little legs were still unable to touch the desktop while Ed and Al's were still running around. "I've been wondering whether Mundungus has persuaded them to sell stolen goods or something awful…"

"He hasn't," Harry interrupted curtly.

"How do you know?" Ron and Hermione asked together.

"Because Harry gave them our Quint-wizard winnings last June," Ed answered. "Harry offered me the gold to keep, but I told him to just give it to Ron or Fred and George."

"Oh, Harry, you _didn't_!" Hermione demanded of Harry.

"Yes, I did," Harry replied mutinously. "And I don't regret it either -- Ed nor I needed the gold, and they'll be great at a joke shop…"

"But this is excellent!" Ron declared, looking thrilled. "It's all your and Ed's fault, Harry -- Mum can't blame me at all! Can I tell her?"

"Yeah, I suppose you'd better," Harry answered, dully. "'Specially if she thinks they're receiving stolen cauldrons or something…"

Hermione didn't say anything the rest of the class, but once they all left and were standing around in the weak May sunshine, she opened her mouth to start saying something. Harry, though, had interrupted her before she had a chance to talk.

"It's no good nagging me, it's done," Harry said firmly. "Fred and George have got the gold -- spent a good bit of it too, by the sounds of it -- and I can't get it back from them and I don't want to. So save your breath, Hermione."

"I wasn't going to say anything about Fred and George!" Hermione said, in an injured voice.

Ron snorted disbelievingly, and Hermione threw him a very dirty look.

"No, I wasn't!" Hermione insisted. "As a matter of fact, I was going to ask Harry when he's going to go back to Snape and ask for Occlumency lessons again!"

"Sorry, Hermione, but I don't think that's gonna happen," Ed remarked. "They hate each other, if you hadn't noticed."

"But Ron told me last night that Harry was muttering in his sleep!" Hermione said.

Harry threw a furious look at Ron who had the grace to look ashamed of himself.

"You were only muttering a little," Ron muttered apologetically. "Something about 'just a bit farther'."

"Maybe it was about --" Ed started, smirking.

"I dreamed I was watching Ron and the team play Quidditch," Harry lied brutally. "I was trying to get you to stretch out a bit farther to grab the Quaffle."

Ron's ears went red. Harry felt a kind of bit vindictive pleasure. He had not, of course, dreamed anything of the sort. He had dreamt, once again, about the Department of Mysteries corridor.

"You are _trying_ to block your mind, aren't you?" asked Hermione, looking beadily at Harry. "You are keeping going with your Occlumency?"

"Of course I am!" Harry defended.

"Yeah, and I'm goin' to join Slytherin," Ed remarked.

"Brother!" Al rebuked.

Ed grinned and shrugged.

"You know," Ron changed the subject, whose ears were still flaming red, "if Montague doesn't recover before Slytherin plays Hufflepuff, we might be in with a chance of winning the Cup."

"Yeah, I suppose so," Harry agreed, glad of a change of subject.

"I mean, we've won one, lost one," Ron continued. "If Slytherin loses to Hufflepuff next Saturday --"

"Yeah, that's right," Harry agreed, losing track of what he was agreeing to.

Cho Chang had just walked across the courtyard, avoiding Harry's eyes and smiling at Al. Al smiled back, and Cho went into the castle.

The final match of the Quidditch season, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, was to take place on the last weekend of May. Although Slytherin had been narrowly defeated by Hufflepuff in their last match, Gryffindor was not daring to hope for victory, due mainly to Ron's abysmal goalkeeping record. Ed would begin to tease Ron, but Winry and Hermione would always send him a nasty glare. Ron, however, seemed to have found a new optimism.

"I mean, I can't get any worse, can I?" Ron told Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, and Hermione over breakfast on the morning of the match. "Nothing to lose now, is there?"

"I can think of something," Ed muttered.

Winry shoved him. Ed grinned.

"Oh, get a room," Ron remarked, a disgusted look on his face.

"Ronald!" Hermione admonished as Ed and Winry blushed in embarrassment.

A little while later, Ron and Ginny went to get ready for the match as Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, and Hermione went to the Quidditch pitch in the midst of a very excitable crowd.

"It's good that Ron has more confidence," Al commented.

"Yes, I agree," Hermione agreed. "It seems that Fred and George never gave him a lot of confidence…"

Luna Lovegood overtook them with what appeared to be a live eagle perched on top of her head.

"Oh, gosh, I forgot!" Hermione gasped, watching the eagle flapping its wings as Luna walked serenely past a group of cackling and pointing Slytherins. "Cho will be playing, won't she?"

Harry grunted.

"Yes, she will," Al replied. "I wished her good luck."

"Don't you want Gryffindor to win?" Hermione asked.

"What was I supposed to say to her then?" Al asked, his eyes wide. "Was I supposed to tell her that I hope she loses?"

"No," Hermione answered. "I suppose not."

"It doesn't really matter who wins or loses as long as it's a good game," Winry pointed out.

"Shows how much you don't know about Quidditch," Harry muttered.

Winry hit him over the head with her wrench.

"Ouch!" Harry cried out. "Sorry!"

"You better be," Winry muttered.

Then she strode ahead, Ed and Al catching up with her a moment later. They all found seats in the topmost row of the stands. It was a fine, clear day. Ron could not wish for better, and Harry was hoping against hope that Ron would not give the Slytherins cause for more rousing choruses of "Weasley Is Our King."

Lee Jordan, who had been very dispirited since Fred and George had left, was commentating as usual. As the teams zoomed out onto the pitches, he named the players with something less than his usual gusto.

"…Bradley…Davies…Chang…," Lee Jordan droned.

Ed scowled and got up from his seat.

"Where are you going, Brother?" Al asked, looking up at Ed.

"You'll see," Ed answered.

Then Ed went to the place where Lee Jordan was at, grabbed the megaphone, pushed him out of the way, and sat down in his place.

"Edward Thomas Elric!" McGonagall scolded. "You don't just -- !"

"Ah, cool your hot flashes," Ed remarked. "Lee will be fine."

McGonagall looked at Ed in shock as Dumbledore chuckled and Roy covered his face in embarrassment. Snape rolled his eyes and frowned. Hermione and Harry were shocked as Al and Winry were covering their faces.

"And they're off!" Ed announced. "Davers takes the Waffle immediately! Ravenclark Captain Davers with the Waffle, he dodges Johnson, he dodges Bell, he dodges Spinnet as well… He's going straight for goal! He's going to shoot -- and -- and he scores! Unfortunately…"

"Davies!" McGonagall corrected. "Quaffle and Ravenclaw!"

"Whatever," Ed brushed off. "Same thing."

Al, Winry, Harry, and Hermione groaned with the rest of the Gryffindors. Predictably, horribly, the Slytherins on the other side of the stands began to sing:

_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring…_

As Harry and Hermione went with Hagrid to the Forbidden Forest, Al and Winry choosing to stay in the stands to watch the game, Ed continued to commentate.

"COME ON, Ron!" Ed bellowed. "DON'T BE A FUCKING BABY AND DEFEND THE FUCKIN' GOALPOSTS!"

"EDWARD ELRIC!" McGonagall roared. "MIND YOUR LANGUAGE!"

"GET OVER IT!" Ed yelled. "THE KIDDIES WILL HEAR IT SOONER OR LATER!"

After the match was over, McGonagall dragged Ed to her office and ordered him to sit down.

"Sit down," McGonagall ordered.

Ed scowled and sat down in front of McGonagall's desk as McGonagall stood behind her desk.

"What were you thinking when you pushed Mr. Jordan out of the way and swore in front of dozens of children?!" McGonagall demanded.

"Aren't you at least happy that Gryffindor won?" Ed tried to change the subject.

"Do NOT change the subject!" McGonagall said.

"I guess you're still pissed about the remarks about you too," Ed presumed.

"Mr. Elric, you are to have detention for a month," McGonagall said. "And you are to STAY AWAY from the commentary booth!"

"I guess that answers it," Ed remarked.

"Go," McGonagall said, pointing at her door. "Just go."

"'Kay," Ed shrugged.

Ed got up and left the office.

"How they handle that boy in Amestris…," McGonagall said.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

When Ed got back to Gryffindor Tower and into the common room, he was shocked to see that a party was in full force already. Ed had found his way to a table by a window where Al, Winry, Harry, and Hermione were.

"Where's 'Golden Boy'?" Ed asked.

"Ronald is somewhere around here," Hermione replied. "But we've got to tell you something."

"Tell me what?" Ed asked.

"That's what we asked, but Harry and Hermione said to wait for when you show up," Al answered.

"What did Professor McGonagall --?" Hermione started.

"Forget about that," Ed brushed off. "Tell me what you have to tell us."

"Hagrid wants us to take care of his 'little' brother," Harry stated.

"What do you mean, 'take care of his little brother'?" Ed asked. "Isn't he --?"

"No, he's not an only child," Al interrupted.

Ed, Winry, Harry, and Hermione looked at him.

"When Envy and Lust told me the things, it was in the Forbidden Forest," Al confided, looking down. "We were in the clearing with Hagrid's half-brother. I wanted to know if he was another homunculus, but Envy said it was Hagrid's half-brother that he had dragged back from where he was at."

"Then Voldemort knows what Hagrid was doing in the summertime," Harry correctly assumed.

"Even if he does," Hermione pointed out, "it doesn't mean that he would know everything."

"If you say so," Ed muttered.

"Anyway," Hermione continued, shooting a glare at Ed, "we _have_ got to hope that Hagrid won't get sacked so we don't have to take care of Grawp."

"Grawp?" Ed asked.

"Yes, Grawp," Hermione answered. "I'm sure 'Envy' told you the name as well, Alphonse."

"Yeah, it did," Al replied. "Envy told me his name."

Al looked down again.

"Alphonse," Hermione started, Al looking up at her, "I'm not angry or disgusted with you, all right? I just wish you would have told us these things earlier. You know, so we would have known."

"I didn't want anyone to die," Al said.

"Don't worry, Al, we'll be okay," Ed assured.

Al nodded.

"When are you going to tell Ron?" Winry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "Probably tomorrow, so he could have some time to celebrate the win today."

She looked at Ed.

"So, what did McGonagall do to you?" Hermione asked.

"Ah, she just gave me a month's worth of detention," Ed wove off. "Nothin' to worry about."

Hermione frowned. The next day, Ron's euphoria at helping Gryffindor scrape the Quidditch Cup was such that he could not settle to do anything the next day. All he wanted to do was talk over the match and it was difficult for Harry and Hermione to find an opening in which to mention Grawp -- not that either of them tried very hard; neither were keen to be the one to bring Ron back to reality in quite such a brutal fashion. As it was another fine, warm day, they persuaded him to join them in studying under the beech tree on the edge of the lake, where they stood less chance of being overheard than in the common room. Ron was not particularly keen on this idea at first; he was thoroughly enjoying being patted on the back by Gryffindors walking past his chair, not to mention the occasional outbursts of "Weasley Is Our King," but agreed after a while that some fresh air might do him some good.

They spread their books out in the shade of beech tree and sat down while Ron talked them through his first save of the match for what felt like the dozenth time.

"Where are Ed, Al, and Winry?" Ron asked after retelling the first save.

"Alphonse is getting help from Cho for his O.W.L. exams since she's already taken it, and Winry is helping Edward," Hermione answered. "They're all in the library."

"Oh," Ron replied. "Well, _we won._ Did you see the look on Chang's face when Ginny got the Snitch right out from under her nose?"

"I suppose she cried, did she?" Harry supposed, bitterly.

"Well, yeah -- more out of temper than anything, though…," Ron frowned slightly. "But you saw her chuck her broom away when she back to the ground, didn't you? And Al go to her to comfort her?"

"Er --," Harry started.

"Well, actually…no, Ron," Hermione admitted with a heavy sigh, putting down her book and looking at him apologetically. "As a matter of fact, the only bit of the match Harry and I saw was Davie's first goal."

"You didn't watch?" Ron asked faintly. "You didn't see me make any of those saves? You didn't hear Professor McGonagall get onto Ed?"

"Oh, we heard that all right," Harry remarked. "Could hear it way off the pitch."

"We didn't want to leave!" Hermione insisted. "We had to!"

"How come?" Ron demanded.

"It was Hagrid," Harry replied. "He decided to tell us why he's been covered in injuries ever since he got back from the giants. He wanted us to go into the forest with him, we had no choice, you know how he is…Anyway…"

The story was told in five minutes, by the end of which Ron's indignation had been replaced by a look of total incredulity.

"_He brought one back and hit it in the forest?_" Ron asked.

"Yep," Harry answered.

"No," Ron denied. "No, he can't have…"

"Well, he has," Hermione confirmed. "Grawp's about sixteen feet tall, enjoys ripping up twenty-foot pine trees, and knows me," she snorted, "as _Hermy_."

"And Hagrid wants us to…?" Ron started, laughing nervously.

"Teach him English, yeah," Harry completed.

"He's lost his mind," Ron stated. "Do Ed, Al, and Winry know?"

"Yes, they know," Hermione replied, matter-of-factly. "We told them last night. And Alphonse has known longer than any of us because Envy and Lust told him."

"And he didn't tell us?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Well, you can't blame him," Hermione rationalized. "He was afraid for Edward and Winry and us."

"I suppose," Ron admitted. "But we just can't keep that promise. We have O.W.L. exams. And unlike Ed and Al, those lucky blokes, we don't have anyone who has already taken them to help us study for them."

In the library, Winry was highlighting Ed's notes of what Ed would need to know while Cho was helping Al with his notes.

"Ed, you've really got to take better notes," Winry scowled. "I can barely read your handwriting."

"It's not that bad," Ed mumbled.

"It's chicken scratch!" Winry protested. "I don't see how Colonel Mustang could read your reports!"

"For your information, Winry," Ed snapped, "we're supposed to _type_ our reports, except for when we are here."

"Well, that would explain why your reports would be late," Winry remarked.

"What makes you think that my reports would be late?" Ed argued. "My reports were always on time back in Amestris!"

"Well…," Al started.

"Keep out of it, Al!" Ed interrupted.

"Your papers would be late because you are very slow at typing!" Winry accused.

"I am not!" Ed protested.

"You are so, Edward!" Winry insisted. "And don't blame it on your auto-mail, either!"

"Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black!" Ed accused.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Winry asked.

"You type so slow that it snowed by the time you were finished with an assignment!" Ed accused. "You were gushin' over the stupid typewriter too much to actually pay attention!"

"You're such a jack ass!" Winry snapped.

"Well, you're a bitch!" Ed retorted. "I'll study on my own!"

Then Ed grabbed his stuff and left. A few moments later, Winry grabbed her stuff and stormed out as well. Al sighed and shook his head.

"They're very sweet," Cho commented.

"When they're not arguing," Al muttered.

"They do stop arguing, don't they?" Cho asked, looking at Al.

"Yeah, but they fight over the stupidest things," Al answered. "And when they 'forgive' each other, they act like nothing had happened."

Cho smiled. Tears came to her eyes.

"Cho, don't be upset," Al urged.

"I'm sorry, Alphonse," Cho apologized. "It's just…I wasn't able to get any --"

"Closure?" Al finished.

"Yes," Cho answered.

"Well, Brother told me that he told Cedric and Harry that they needed to leave the graveyard, but it was too late," Al told Cho. "When Harry fell onto his knees in pain, Voldemort told Peter Pettigrew to kill Ed and Cedric. But Cedric pushed Brother out of the way and took it for him. Ed was going to beat up Peter, but he was…you know, what you read in the _Quibbler_."

"I'm sorry, Alphonse," Cho apologized once again.

Al shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," Al forgave. "You just needed to hear it from someone. The point is, Cho, you shouldn't be sad. Cedric gave his life to protect somebody. And that somebody tried to avenge Cedric. Even though I hardly knew him, Cedric would want you to be happy."

"He was very much like you," Cho admitted. "Such a gentleman. Anyway, let me help you study…"

Al nodded.

The castle grounds were gleaming in the sunlight as though freshly painted; the cloudless sky smiled at itself in the smoothly sparkling lake, the satin-green lawns rippled occasionally in a gentle breeze: June had arrived, but to the fifth years this meant only one thing: Their O.W.L.s were upon them at last. Their teachers were no longer setting them homework; lessons were devoted to reviewing those topics their teachers thought most likely to come up in the exams. McGonagall had even forgotten about giving Ed detention when he showed up for his first night of detention.

"What are you doing here, Elric?" McGonagall asked, looking at Ed.

"You gave me a month's worth of detention, remember?" Ed reminded. "You know, for what happened during the last Quidditch match?"

"Oh, yes," McGonagall remembered. "Well, you can start them next year when you come back. Your O.W.L. exams are more important. You do want to be a Curse Breaker for Gringotts, don't you?"

"About that," Ed started. "I don't think I'll be able to."

"Why not?" McGonagall asked.

"Fuhrer Bradley doesn't want me to quit the military to work in the wizarding world," Ed replied. "He thinks I should apply what I've learned to --"

"To your job with the military," McGonagall finished. "Well, when you're here, you are in a free country. You will do whatever you want, but I want you to take the O.W.L. exams and do your best like you do in your classes."

"Why?" Ed asked.

"Because Izumi Curtis would want you to do your best," McGonagall answered. "Your talent shouldn't be wasted. I'm sure Miss Rockbell feels the same, whenever you two are not fighting."

Ed blushed.

"Get out of here and get back to Gryffindor Tower and study," McGonagall said. "I will remind you of your detentions next term."

Ed nodded and left. He went back to Gryffindor Tower and went into the common room. He looked around and went to a table by a window where Harry, Ron, Hermione, Al, and Winry were sitting and sat down by Al. Winry was holding Pegasus.

"Why aren't you at Professor McGonagall's?" Hermione asked. "Don't you have detention?"

"She told me to come back here so I can study," Ed replied, putting his books and notes onto the table from his bag.

"Didn't you remind her?" Winry asked.

"Of course I did," Ed answered. "If I didn't, you would've jumped all over me! McGonagall told me to focus on my exams and that she'll have me do my detentions start of next term."

"Oh," Winry said. "Sorry, Ed."

Ed looked at Winry.

"Whatever," Ed forgave. "Just forget about it."

"Are you all right?" Winry asked.

"Yeah," Ed lied. "I'm fine."

Hermione frowned at Ed. Winry put Pegasus down, got up from her seat, went to Ed, and hugged him from behind as Ed blushed.

"It'll be okay, Ed," Winry comforted. "We'll figure something out."

Then they all noticed the common room had went silent. Winry stopped hugging Ed and pulled out her wrench and turned to everyone who was staring at her and Ed.

"Get back to fuckin' work or you'll all be headed to the hospital wing!" Winry threatened.

Everyone done as told. Winry turned back to Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"I'm going to bed," Winry said. "I'm a bit tired. Study well, Ed."

"All right," Ed said. "Good night."

"Good night," Winry bade.

She kissed Ed and then went to her dorm. Ed looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. All three were smirking.

"What?" Ed snapped.

"When are you going to send out the wedding invitations?" Ron remarked.

"Are we invited?" Harry added.

"If I don't kill you first!" Ed yelled.

"Brother, stop," Al urged.

Ed stood and straightened his cloak.

"I'm goin' to bed," Ed decided, then glared at Harry and Ron. "Sleep with one eye open, Harry, Ron."

Then Ed went up to the boys' dormitory.

**Author's Note:** I hope you liked these chapters! Review!


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Note:** Hi, everyone! I hope you had a good week! I'm almost finished with this fanfiction. I just have a couple of more chapters left to write on. Anyway, I hope you'll like these chapters! Read and Review!

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

As the month went on, the fifth years, including Ed, were getting very restless and obsessed with the upcoming O.W.L. exams. While Hermione had muttered to herself and Ernie Macmillan had developed an irritating habit of interrogating people about their study habits, Ed was prone to snapping at anybody who snickered or even mentioned his closeness to Winry while she helped him study. He had even had to be held back by Al, Harry, and Ron when he had tried to beat Draco Malfoy up when Malfoy had mentioned that Ed and Winry's kids would be 'Mudbloods' and 'diseased.'

A few days before the exams were to start, Malfoy had started boasting loudly outside Potions class.

"Of course, it's not what you know," Malfoy boasted to Crabbe and Goyle. "It's who you know. Now, Father's been friendly with the head of the Wizarding Examination Authority for years -- old Griselda Marchbanks -- we've had her round for dinner and everything…"

"Then that means you're gonna fail the tests, you stupid piece of shit!" Ed remarked.

Malfoy looked at Ed and narrowed his eyes.

"Well, if it isn't --" Malfoy started.

Before Malfoy could finish the dungeon doors opened and Snape had beckoned them in.

Meanwhile, a flourishing black-market trade in aids to concentration, mental agility, and wakefulness had sprung up among the fifth and seventh years. Harry and Ron were much tempted by the bottle of Baruffio's Brain Elixir offered to them by Ravenclaw Eddie Carmichael, who swore it was solely responsible for the nine "Outstanding" O.W.L.s he had gained the previous summer and was offering the whole pint for a mere twelve Galleons. Ron assured Harry he would reimburse him for his half the moment he left Hogwarts and got a job, but before they could close the deal, Winry snatched it from Carmichael and poured the contents down a toilet.

"Winry, we wanted to buy that!" Ron shouted.

"Don't be stupid, Ronald," Winry snapped. "You might as well take Harold Dingle's powdered dragon claw and have done with it."

"Dingle's got powdered dragon claw?" Ron asked.

"No, it was dried doxy droppings," Winry replied.

"How do you know?" Harry asked.

"Shoo!" Winry snapped at Carmichael. "And if I hear about you selling these to other people, I'll kick your fuckin' ass!"

Carmichael dashed away. Winry turned back to Harry and Ron.

"They tried to offer these to Ed and Al, but Ed saw right through it after sniffing them," Winry replied to Harry's question.

"He sniffed them?" Ron asked, his face showing disgust.

"Yes, he's an Alchemist," Winry answered. "That's what they do. Well, that's what Edward said."

"Where is Ed?" Ron asked again.

"He's studying in the library with Alphonse," Winry shrugged off. "I better go see how they're doing."

Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had received their examination schedules and details of the procedure for O.W.L.s during their next Transfiguration lesson.

"As you can see," Professor McGonagall told the class while they copied down the dates and times of their exams from the blackboard, "your O.W.L.s are spread over two successive weeks. You will sit the theory exams in the mornings and the practice in the afternoons. Your practical Astronomy examination will, of course, take place at night. Now, I must warn you that the most stringent Anti-Cheating Charms have been applied to your examination papers. Auto-Answer Quills are banned from the examination hall, as are Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink. Every year, I am afraid to say, seems to harbor at least one student who thinks that he or she can get around the Wizarding Examinations Authority's rules. I can only hope that it is nobody in Gryffindor. Our new headmistress has asked the Heads of House to tell their students that cheating will be punished most severely -- because, of course, your examination results will reflect upon the headmistress's new regime at the school…"

Professor McGonagall gave a tiny sigh.

"However, that is no reason not to do your very best," McGonagall continued. "You have your own futures to think about."

"Please, Professor," Hermione pleaded, her hand in the air, "when will we find out our results?"

"We'll get an owl in July," Ed answered before McGonagall could, everyone looking at him. "What? Winry called me once she got it and squealed my ear off."

McGonagall gave a small smile.

"As Mr. Elric said, Miss Granger, an owl will be sent to you some time in July," replied McGonagall.

"Excellent," Dean Thomas whispered, "so we don't have to worry about it till the holidays." He turned to Ed and said, "And Ed, I promise I won't call you and squeal about my results."

The class burst out laughing as Ed blushed in embarrassment. Even Roy gave a lecture on the O.W.L. exams. Though, not many of the girls in the class paid much attention since they were all too busy ogling Roy.

"Before he left, Professor Dumbledore told me that Alchemy will be a sixth year course," Roy told the class. "So, yes, you will have an Alchemy O.W.L. exam. You will have the written, of course, and a practical."

Hermione rose her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Roy prompted Hermione, turning on his charming smile.

"Erm, what results do you expect from us?" Hermione asked, blushing.

"Wait!" Ed spoke up before Roy could answer. "Does this mean that you're gonna be teaching next year too?!"

"Yes, FullMetal, it does," Roy answered. "Izumi Curtis had informed me that it best I continue the class since she needed to be in Dublith to keep her business afloat. And not to mention, she hates the cold."

"But that's not fair!" Ed protested.

"Live with it, Edward," Roy replied.

Ed growled. Roy turned back to Hermione.

"I expect 'Exceeding Expectations', Miss Granger," Roy answered Hermione's question.

Hermione nodded.

Their first exam, Theory of Charms, was scheduled for Monday morning. Harry agreed to test Hermione after lunch on Sunday but regretted it almost at once. She was very agitated and kept snatching the book back from him to check that she had gotten the answer completely right, finally hitting him hard on the nose with the sharp edge of _Achievements in Charming_.

"Why don't you just do it yourself?" Harry snapped, handing the book back to Hermione, his eyes watering.

Meanwhile Ed and Al were studying their notes at a nearby table, Winry quizzing them now and again; Ron was reading two years of Charms notes with his fingers in his ears, his lips moving soundlessly; Seamus was lying on his back on the floor, reciting definitions while Dean checked them; and Parvati and Lavender, who were practicing basic locomotion charms, were making their pencil cases race each other around the edge of the table.

Dinner was a subdued affair that night. Harry and Ron did not talk much but ate with gusto, having studied hard all day; Ed, Al, and Winry ate at a normal pace; and Hermione kept putting down her knife and fork and diving under the table for her bag, from which she would seize a book to check some fact or figure. The last time she had done that, Ed snatched the book away.

"Hey!" Hermione protested. "I need that to see if --"

"No, you don't," Ed interrupted, giving the book to Al to hold. "You've probably got everything down."

"But --!" Hermione started.

"Ed is right, Hermione," Ron agreed with Ed. "You've got to eat or you won't sleep well."

But Hermione wasn't listening. She was looking into the entrance hall. Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, and Ron looked into the entrance hall as well.

"Oh, my goodness," Hermione gasped. "Is that them? Is that the examiners?"

Through the doors to the Great Hall, they could see Umbridge standing with a small group of ancient-looking witches and wizards. Umbridge looked rather nervous.

"Let's get a closer look," Ed suggested.

Then he, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to take a second look as Winry decided to stay where she was. The former group hastened toward the double doors into the entrance hall, slowing down as they stepped over the threshold to walk sedately past the examiners. Professor Marchbanks was the tiny, stooped witch with a face so lined it looked as though it had been draped in cobwebs; Umbridge was speaking to her very deferentially. Professor Marchbanks seemed to be a little deaf; she was answering Umbridge very loudly considering that they were only a foot apart.

"Journey was fine, journey was fine, we've made it plenty of times before!" Marchbanks said impatiently. "Now, I haven't heard from Dumbledore lately! No idea where he is, I suppose?"

"None at all," Umbridge answered, shooting a malevolent look at Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were now dawdling around the foot of the stairs as Ron pretended to do up a shoelace. "But I daresay the Ministry of Magic will track him down soon enough…"

"I doubt it," shouted tiny Marchbanks, "not if Dumbledore doesn't want to be found! I should know…Examined him personally in Transfiguration and Charms when he did N.E.W.T.s… Did things with a wand I'd never seen before…"

"Yes, well," Umbridge relented as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ed, and Al dragged their feet up the marble staircase as slowly as they dared, "let me show you to the staffroom…I daresay you'd like a cup of tea after your journey…"

It was an uncomfortable sort of an evening. Everyone was trying to do some last-minute studying but nobody seemed to be getting very far. None of the fifth years talked very much at breakfast the next day either. Parvati was practicing incantations under her breath while the salt cellar in front of her twitched, Hermione was rereading _Achievement in Charming_ so fast that her eyes appeared blurred, and Neville kept dropping his knife and fork and knocking over the marmalade. Once breakfast was over, the fifth and seventh years milled around in the entrance hall while the other students went off to lessons. None of the fifth or seventh years even bothered to say anything or laugh or whistle when Winry gave Ed a 'good luck' kiss on the lips and when Cho kiss Al for luck before leaving for class.

At half past nine, they were called forward class by class to reenter the Great Hall, whose four House tables had been removed and replaced instead with many tables for one, all facing the staff table end of the Hall where Professor McGonagall stood facing them. When they were all seated and quiet McGonagall instructed, "You may begin," and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her, on which were also spare quills, ink bottles, and rolls of parchment.

Ed turned over his paper, his heart thumping hard…He lowered his eyes to the first question: _a) Give the incantation, and b) describe the wand movement required to make objects fly_…

Two hours later, the exam was over and Hermione started to go over the questions until Ron told her to stop. The fifth years ate lunch with the rest of the school (the four House tables reappeared over the lunch hour) and then trooped off into the small chamber beside the Great Hall, where they were to wait until called for their practical examination. As small groups of students were called forward in alphabetical order, those left behind muttered incantations and practiced wand movements, occasionally poking one another in the back or eye by mistake. Ed and Al's names were called and they went into the Great Hall, going to different professors. Ed went to Professor Tofty while Al went to Professor Marchbanks.

"Edward Elric, is it?" Tofty asked.

"Yeah," Ed answered.

"There is no need to be nervous," Tofty assured. "Now, if I could ask you to take this eggcup and make it do some cartwheels for me…"

The exam had gone particularly well for Ed had did not make any mistakes as Al hadn't made any mistakes either. After their exams, Ed and Al left the Great Hall. There was no time to relax that night -- they went straight to the common room after dinner and submerged themselves in studying for Transfiguration the next day. Ed and Al had done very reasonable well on both the written and practical exams. On Wednesday was the Herbology exam; and then on Thursday was the Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ed and Al both felt that they aced the written questions. They both performed all the counter-jinxes and defensive spells right in front of Umbridge, who was watching coolly from near the doors into the entrance hall. Ed banished his boggart as soon as he could, earning praise from Professor Tofty.

"Oh excellent!" Tofty praised. "Very good indeed! You may leave now."

The next day was Alchemy for the students who were taking the class. Ed and Al, of course, had an easy time with the written and practical exam, but Harry and Ron had a hard time with both of them. Hermione, of course, did pretty well. The rest of the exams passed pretty slowly, and on Wednesday night was the Astronomy practical exam. When Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock that evening, they found a perfect night for stargazing. It was cloudless and still. The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight, and there was a slight chill in the air. Each of them set up his or her telescope and, when Professor Marchbanks gave the word, proceeded to fill in the blank star chart he or she had been given.

Professors Marchbanks and Tofty strolled among them, watching as they entered the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing. All was quiet except for the rustle of parchment, the occasional creak of a telescope as it was adjusted on its stand and the scribbling of many quills. Half an hour passes, then an hour; the little squares of reflective gold light flickering on the ground below started to vanish as lights in the castle windows were extinguished.

Ed had just completed the constellation Orion on his chart when the front doors of the castle opened directly below Harry was standing, so that the light spilled down the stone steps a little way across the lawn. Ed looked at Al and then Harry and they all glanced down and saw five or six elongated shadows moving over the brightly lit grass before the doors swung shut and the lawn became a sea of darkness once more. Ed, Al, and Harry went to continue their charts when the figures caught their eyes again. Somebody coughed to let them know they should continue their exams and were about to continue when they heard an echoing of a knock followed by the muffled barks of a large dog. All three boys looked to see that there were lights on in Hagrid's windows and the people they had observed crossing the lawn were now silhouetted against them. The door opened and they distinctly saw six tiny by sharply defined figures walk over the threshold. The door closed again and there was silence.

The boys were going to look at each other again, but they decided not to since Professor Marchbanks was making sure no one was cheating. Figures were now moving across the cabin windows, temporarily blocking the light. As Marchbanks moved on, a roar from the distant cabin echoed through the darkness right to the top of the Astronomy Tower. Several people around Ed, Al, and Harry ducked out from behind their telescopes and peered instead in the direction of Hagrid's cabin. Professor Tofty gave a dry little cough.

"Try and concentrate, now, boys and girls," Tofty encouraged softly.

Most people returned to their telescopes, but now Hermione was gazing transfixed at Hagrid's.

"Ahem -- twenty minutes to go," Tofty announced.

Hermione jumped and returned at once to her star chart. Harry went to correct his mislabeled star chart when there was a loud _BANG_ from the grounds. Several people cried out in pain as they had poked themselves in the face with the ends of their telescopes, hastening to see what was going on below.

Hagrid's door had burst open and by the light flooding out of the cabin they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by six people, all of whom, judging by the tiny threads of red light they were casting in his direction, seemed to be attempting to Stun him.

"No!" Hermione cried.

"My dear!" Tofty reprimanded. "This is an examination!"

But nobody was paying the slightest attention to their star charts anymore: Jets of red light were still flying beside Hagrid's cabin, yet somehow they seemed to be bouncing off him. He was still upright and still fighting. Cries and yells echoed across the grounds.

"Be reasonable, Hagrid!" a man yelled.

"Reasonable be damned!" Hagrid roared. "Yeh won' take me like this, Dawlish!"

Fang tried to defend Hagrid, leaping at the wizards surrounding him until a Stunning Spell caught him and he fell to the ground. Hagrid gave a howl of fury, lifted the culprit bodily from the ground, and threw him: The man flew what looked like ten feet and did not get up again. Hermione gasped, both hands over her mouth; and Ron was looking scared as well. Al's eyes were wide, and Ed clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

"Look!" Parvati squealed, who was now leaning over the parapet and pointing to the foot of the castle where the front doors seemed to have opened again: more light had spilled out onto the dark lawn and a single black shadow was now rippling across the lawn.

"Now, really!" Tofty reprimanded again. "Only sixteen minutes left, you know!"

Nobody paid attention to him: They were watching the person now sprinting toward the battle beside Hagrid's cabin.

"McGonagall," Al correctly assumed before anyone heard the figure speak.

"How dare you!" the figure, McGonagall, shouted as she ran. "How _dare_ you!"

"You're right, Alphonse," Hermione whispered.

Al only nodded.

"Leave him alone! _Alone_, I say!" McGonagall shouted again through the darkness. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such -- "

Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender all screamed. No fewer than four Stunners had shot from the figures around the cabin toward McGonagall. Halfway between cabin and castle the red beams collided with her. For a moment she looked luminous, illuminated by an eerie red glow, then was lifted right off her feet, landed hard on her back, and moved no more.

"Galloping gargoyles!" Tofty shouted, who seemed to have forgotten the exam completely. "Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behavior!"

"COWARDS!" Hagrid bellowed, his voice carrying clearly to the top of the tower, and several lights flickered back on inside the castle. "RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O' THAT -- AN' THAT --"

"Oh my!" Hermione gasped.

"You get those bastards, Hagrid!" Ed cheered on.

Hagrid took two massive swipes at his closest attackers; judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold. Hagrid bent over and picked up Fang, putting the unconscious dog over his shoulders.

"Get him, get him!" Umbridge screamed, but her remaining helper seemed highly reluctant to go within reach of Hagrid's fists.

Indeed, the helper backed away so fast he tripped over one of unconscious colleagues and fell over. Hagrid had turned and begun to run with Fang still around his neck. Umbridge sent one last Stunning Spell after him but it missed, and Hagrid, running full-pelt toward the distant gates, disappeared into the darkness.

There was a long minute's quivering silence, everybody gazing openmouthed into the grounds.

"Um…five minutes to go, everybody…" Tofty announced feebly.

At the end of the exam, everybody put their telescopes haphazardly back into their holders and dashed back down the spiral staircase. None of the students were going to bed -- they were all talking loudly and excitedly at the foot of the stairs about what they had witnessed.

"That evil woman!" Hermione gasped. "Trying to sneak up on Hagrid in the dead of night!"

"She clearly wanted to avoid another scene like with Trelawney and Professor Curtis," Ernie Macmillan said sagely, squeezing over to join, Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Of course," Ed scoffed. "But she forgot that since Hagrid is a half-giant the spells would just bounce off."

"But Professor McGonagall got four Stunners straight in the chest," Al reminded. "It will be tough on her."

"Dreadful, dreadful," Ernie said, shaking his head pompously. "Well, I'm off to bed… 'Night, all…"

People around them were drifting away, still talking excitedly about what they had just seen.

"At least they didn't get to take Hagrid off to Azkaban," Ron pointed out. "I 'spect he's gone to join Dumbledore, hasn't he?"

"Suppose so," Ed replied. "First Bumblebore, now Hagrid."

"Dumbledore, Edward!" Hermione corrected.

Ed brushed her off as they went back to the Gryffindor common room to find it full. The commotion out in the grounds had woken several people, who had hastened to rouse their friends. Seamus and Dean, who had arrived ahead of Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were now telling everyone what they had heard from the top of the Astronomy Tower.

"But why sack Hagrid now?" Angelina Johnson asked, shaking her head. "It's not like Trelawney, he's been teaching much better than usual this year."

"It doesn't matter to her," Winry replied, tears in her eyes, before Hermione could. "She hates part-humans. She was always going to try to get rid of Hagrid."

Ed went to Winry and gave her his handkerchief. Winry took it and smiled at Ed.

"And she thought Hagrid was putting nifflers in her office," piped up Katie Bell.

"Oh blimey," confessed Lee Jordan, covering his mouth. "It's me's been putting the nifflers in her office. Fred and George left me a couple. I've been levitating them in through her window."

"She'd have fired him anyway," Al wove off. "He was very close to Dumbledore."

"That's true," Harry admitted, sinking into an armchair by Hermione's.

"I just hope that Professor McGonagall's all right," Lavender hoped tearfully.

"She'll be fine," Ed assured. "She's tough like Teacher. It'll take more than four Stunners to take her out."

"Brother's right," Al agreed.

Suddenly, Al got an angry expression on his face, confusing almost everyone in the room.

"Al?" Dean asked. "What's wrong?"

Al blinked and looked at Dean.

"Nothing," Al replied, suddenly calm. "I'm just tired. I'm going up to bed."

Then Al bade everyone a good night, like that was possible, and went up to go to bed.

"Ed, you better go to bed yourself," Winry suggested, wiping her tears on Ed's handkerchief. "You need to rest up for your final exam tomorrow."

"All right," Ed agreed. "But don't cry anymore. I don't like it."

Then Ed went up to go to bed as well. Winry went to bed a few moments later, clutching Ed's handkerchief in her hand.

"Well, there's one thing we can wait for the summer," Ron spoke up.

"What's that?" Ginny asked.

"Ed and Winry's marriage," Ron remarked.

Everyone laughed lightly until a wrench found its way and hit itself onto Ron's head.

"OW!" Ron exclaimed.

Everybody burst out laughing, knowing that it was Winry who had charmed the wrench to hit Ron on the head.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

The fifth years entered the Great Hall at two o'clock the next day and took their places in front of their overturned examination papers.

"Turn over your papers," Professor Marchbanks instructed from the front of the Hall, flicking over the giant hourglass. "You may begin…"

Ed flipped over the paper and looked at the first question, answering it quickly and effectively. He rose an eyebrow once he reached question four: _In your opinion, did wand legislation contribute to, or lead to better control of, goblin riots of the eighteenth century?_

Ed wrote: _Wand legislation contributed to goblin riots of the eighteenth century because the stupid wizards and witches thought that not allowing goblins wands would make the said witches and wizards safer, when in actuality it made things more dangerous since the goblins decided to take matters into their own hands. Why do you think the goblins are still pissed at the witches and wizards?_

Ed grinned at his answer and moved on to question five: _How was the Statue of Sorcery breached in 1749 and what measures were introduced to prevent a recurrence?_

He wrote down his answer and continued writing his answers until he heard Harry screaming as if he were on fire. Everyone in the Hall turned to see Harry on the floor, clutching his scar. Tofty went to Harry and helped Harry out of the room after he had come to. Everyone else was told to continue on their exams. After the exams were over, Harry found Ed, Al, Ron, and Hermione and had them to come with him into an empty classroom. Harry immediately shut the door behind them and leaned against it, facing Ed, Al, Ron, and Hermione.

"Voldemort's got Sirius," Harry revealed.

"_What?!_" Hermione asked.

"How d'you -- ?" Ron started.

"Where and how?" Ed asked, his arms crossed.

"I dunno how," Harry answered. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven… He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there… He's torturing him…Says he'll end by killing him…"

Harry moved over to a desk and sat down on it.

"How're we going to get there?" Harry asked.

"We're not going to go there, Harry," Al answered.

"_Why not?!_" Harry demanded. "_Voldemort has Sirius!_"

"I don't think so, Harry," Ed dismissed. "It's five o'clock in the afternoon. The Ministry of Idiots -- I mean, Magic -- is full of workers. I highly doubt that Bodel-butt pranced all the way there with a convicted murderer just to get a ball of a shelf. If he wanted it done, he would have sent Mal-fart's daddy or something. Have you ever thought that it is just a dream?"

"Edward is right," Hermione agreed. "You've never been there. You've just dreamed about the place, that's all."

"They're not normal dreams!" Harry yelled. "How do you explain Ron's dad then? What was all that about? How come I knew what had happened to him? And what about the meeting between Voldemort and Fuhrer Bradley?"

"Harry, you've got excellent points," Ed reasoned, pinching the bridge of his nose with his left hand while his right supported his left elbow. "But, Harry, it's very unlikely that Voldemort got hold of Sirius since he's been inside of Grimmauld Place all the time. He has other ways to get what he wants."

"You know what, I've just thought of something," Ron remembered. "Sirius's brother was a Death Eater, wasn't he? Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon!"

"Yeah, and that's why Dumbledore's been so keen to keep Sirius locked up all the time!" Harry agreed.

"I don't think so," Ed shot down.

Harry and Ron looked at him.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Sirius would have been dead by now," Ed replied.

"Edward is right," Hermione agreed. "Besides, what if your dream was -- was just that, a dream?"

"You don't get it!" Harry roared. "I'm not having nightmares, I'm not just dreaming! What do you think all the Occlumency was for? Why do you think Dumbledore wanted me prevented from seeing these things? Because they're REAL! Sirius is trapped -- I've seen him - Voldemort's got him, and no one else knows, and that means we're the only ones who can save him, and if you don't want to do it, fine, but I'm going, understand?"

"But, Harry, you've just said it!" Hermione reminded fiercely. "Dumbledore wanted you to learn to shut these things out of your mind. If you'd done Occlumency properly, you'd never have seen this --"

"IF YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO ACT LIKE I HAVEN'T SEEN --" Harry roared.

"Sirius told you there was nothing more important than you learning to close your mind!" Hermione reminded.

"WELL, I EXPECT HE'D SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF HE KNEW WHAT I'D JUST --" Harry roared again.

The classroom door opened. Ed, Al, Harry, Ron, and Hermione whipped around. Winry and Ginny walked in, looking curious, closely followed by Luna, who as usual looked as though she had drifted in accidentally.

"What were you yelling about, Harry?" Winry asked, her hands on her hips. "And why are you in here?"

"Never you mind!" Harry snapped.

Winry scowled as Ginny rose an eyebrow.

"Don't take that tone with Winry," Ginny retorted. "She only asked because she wants to help. Right, Winry?"

"Of course," Winry said.

"And I want to help as well," Ginny went on.

"Well, you can't," Harry retorted.

"You're being rather rude, you know," Luna observed.

Harry swore and turned away. The very last thing he wanted now was a conversation with Luna Lovegood.

"Harry, they _can_ help," Ed said.

"How?" Harry asked.

"Well, they can help us establish if Sirius really is captured by Bodel-butt," Ed suggested.

"I've told you, I saw --!" Harry snapped.

"Don't bust a lung, Harry," Ed interrupted. "I'm just saying that we should check before running off to London. It's the rational thing to do."

"Since when were you the rational brother?" Ginny remarked.

"Yeah, Brother, that's my job," Al agreed, smiling.

"Shut up!" Ed snapped.

"I agree with Edward, Harry," Hermione admitted. "This is his most logical idea he's ever had."

"HEY!" Ed protested. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Just as it sounds," Winry explained.

Ed growled.

"Sirius is being tortured NOW!" Harry shouted. "We haven't got time to waste!"

"Stop yelling!" Al burst out.

Everyone looked at Al.

"Sorry," Al apologized, blushing with embarrassment. "It's just that I'm sick and tired of hearing it. We've just got to check that it's not a trick of Voldemort's."

"How?" Harry demanded. "How are we going to check?"

"We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him," Hermione answered, looking positively terrified at the thought. "We'll draw Umbridge away again, but we'll need lookouts, and that's where we can use Winry, Ginny, and Luna."

"We'll do it!" Winry stated.

"When you say 'Sirius', are you talking about Stubby Boardman?" Luna asked.

Nobody answered her.

"Okay," Harry said to Hermione. "Okay, if you can think of a way of doing this quickly, I'm with you, otherwise I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now --"

"The Department of Mysteries?" Luna asked, surprised. "But how are you going to get there?"

Harry ignored her.

"Right," Hermione said, twisting her hands together and pacing up and down between the desks. "Right…well…One of us has to go and find Umbridge and -- and send her off in the wrong direction, keep her away from her office. They could tell her -- I don't know -- that Peeves is up to something awful as usual…"

"I'll do it," Ron volunteered at once. "I'll tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department or something, it's miles away from her office. Come to think of it, I could probably persuade Peeves to do it if I met him on the way…"

"Okay," Hermione continued as she continued pacing, her brow furrowed. "Now, we need to keep students away from her office while we force entry, or some Slytherin's bound to go and tip her off…"

"Ginny, Luna, and I can do that," Winry volunteered promptly.

"Yeah, Luna can stand at one end while Winry and I can stand at the other," Ginny added, "and warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of Garroting Gas. Fred and George were planning to do it before they left."

"What will you two do?" Hermione asked Ed and Al, turning to look at them.

"We'll help you and Harry, of course," Ed answered. "You can't have too many lookouts."

"That's true," Hermione agreed. "You, Alphonse, Harry, and myself can go into Umbridge's office so Harry can check whether Sirius is at home or not. But I don't know if we all can fit under Harry's Invisibility Cloak."

"What do you mean?" Al asked.

"Well, Edward has grown exponentially ever since your…illness was cured," Hermione answered. "And he's taller than Harry and Ron now."

"You do have a point," Ron pointed out.

"It'll be fine," Harry brushed off.

"Right, well, even if we do all of that, I don't think we're going to be able to bank on more than five minutes," Hermione continued planning, "not with Filch and the wretched Inquisitorial Squad floating around."

"Five minutes'll be enough," Harry brushed off. "Come on, let's go --"

"_Now?!_" Hermione asked in shock.

"Of course now!" Harry replied angrily. "What did you think, we're going to wait until after dinner or something? Hermione, Sirius is being tortured _right now_!"

"I -- oh all right," Hermione sighed. "Go and get the Invisibility Cloak and we'll meet you at the end of Umbridge's corridor, okay?"

Harry nodded and threw himself out of the classroom.

"Not too eager, is he?" Ed remarked.

"Let's go," Winry said. "We need to get there before Umbridge gets there."

"Right," Hermione agreed.

"Wait, what's going to be the signal if Umbridge comes?" Al asked.

"Weasley Is Our King," Ginny quickly suggested.

"Which one?" Winry asked.

"Our version," Ginny answered.

"Good suggestion," Ed commented. "Let's go."

Then Ed, Al, Winry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna left the classroom and went to the end of Umbridge's corridor. Harry joined them a few minutes later, panting.

"Got it," Harry panted. "Ready to go, then?"

"All right," Hermione whispered as a gang of loud sixth years passed them. "So, Ron -- you go and head Umbridge off…Ginny, Luna, Winry, if you can start moving people out of the corridor…Edward, Alphonse, Harry, and I will get the cloak on and wait until the coast is clear…"

Ron strode away, his bright red hair visible right to the end of the passage. Meanwhile, Ginny's equally vivid head bobbed between the jostling students surrounding them in the other direction, trailed by Luna's dirty blonde one and Winry's lemon blonde head.

"Get over here," Hermione muttered, tugging at Harry's wrist and pulling him back into a recess where the ugly stone head of a medieval wizard stood muttering to itself on a column.

Ed and Al followed.

"Are -- are you sure you're okay?" Hermione asked. "You're still very pale."

"I'm fine," Harry replied shortly, tugging the Invisibility Cloak from out of his bag and then throwing it over himself, Ed, Al, and Hermione. "Here."

They all stood listening carefully over the Latin mumblings of the bust in front of them.

"You can't come down here!" Ginny called to the crowd. "No, sorry, you're going to have to go round by the swiveling staircase, someone has let off Garroting Gas just along here --"

"I can't see no gas," a surly voice complained.

"That's because it's colorless, you moron," Winry snapped. "But if you want to walk through it, go ahead, and then we'll have your body as proof for the next idiot who didn't believe us."

Slowly the crowd thinned. The news about the Garroting Gas seemed to have spread -- people were not coming this way anymore. When at last the surrounding area was quite clear, Hermione said quietly, "I think that's as good as we're going to get. Come on, let's do it."

Together Ed, Al, Harry, and Hermione moved forward, covered by the cloak. Luna was standing with her back to them at the far end of the corridor. As they passed Ginny and Winry, Hermione whispered, "Good one…don't forget the signal…"

"We won't, Hermione," Winry whispered back. "Good luck."

"What's the signal?" Harry muttered, as he, Ed, Al, and Hermione approached Umbridge's door.

"A loud chorus of 'Weasley Is Our King' if they see Umbridge coming," Ed answered.

Harry inserted the blade of Sirius's penknife in the crack between door and wall. The lock clicked open, and they entered the office. The garish kittens were basking in the late afternoon sunshine warming their plates, but otherwise the office was as still and empty as the last time Harry used it. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"I thought she might have added extra security after the second niffler…" Hermione sighed.

Harry pulled the cloak off as Hermione hurried over to the window and stood out of sight, peering down into the grounds with her wand out. Harry dashed over to the fireplace, seized the pot of Floo powder and threw a pinch in the grate, causing emerald flames to burst into life there. Then Harry shoved his head in.

"That's got to be uncomfortable," Ed muttered.

"I don't think we'll have five minutes," Al worried.

"I have to agree," Ed agreed.

Hermione looked at Ed and Al.

"What do you mean, Edward, Alphonse?" Hermione asked.

"You can be so _naïve_," Ed scowled. "It's too good to be true that she'd leave -- Fuck."

Umbridge had come in and before Ed, Al, and Hermione could fight, they were all caught. Umbridge pulled Harry out of the fireplace and dragged him backward. With a horrible abruptness, he was staring up into the wide, pallid face of Professor Umbridge, who had dragged him backward out of the fire by the hair and was now bending his neck back as far as it would go as though she was going to slit his throat.

"You think," Umbridge whispered, bending Harry's neck back even farther so that he was looking up at the ceiling above him, "that after two nifflers I was going to let one more foul, scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge? I had Stealth Sensoring Spells placed all around my doorway after the last one got in, you foolish boy. Take his wand. Theirs too…"

Harry felt someone take his wand from his chest pocket and heard scuffling over by the door and knew that Ed, Al, and Hermione had their wands taken from them as well.

"OW!" Harry heard Malfoy yell.

"That's what you get for taking my wand, you son of a bitch," Harry heard Ed snicker.

"Shut up!" Umbridge snapped at Ed, and then she turned back to Harry. "I want to know why you are in my office."

"I was -- trying to get my Firebolt!" Harry croaked.

"Liar!" Umbridge screamed, shaking Harry's head. "Your Firebolt is under strict guard in the dungeons, as you very well know, Potter. You had your head in my fire. With whom have you been communicating?"

"No one --" Harry lied, trying to pull away from her and feeling several hairs being pulled out.

"_Liar_!" Umbridge shouted.

She threw Harry from her, and he slammed into the desk. He saw Hermione pinioned against the wall by Millicent Bulstrode. Malfoy had hold of Ed and had Ed and Harry's wand. There was a commotion outside and several large Slytherins entered, each gripping Al, Winry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville, who was trapped in a stranglehold by Crabbe and looked in imminent danger of suffocation. All six of them had been gagged. Warrington had a black eye.

"Got 'em all," Warrington reported, shoving Winry roughly forward into the room. "This one," motioning towards Winry, "hit me with some sort of metal object when I tried to get her and Elric. _That_ one," he poked a thick finger at Neville, "tried to stop _me_ taking _her_," he pointed at Ginny, who was trying to kick the shins of the large Slytherin girl holding her, "so I brought him along too."

"Good, good," Umbridge praised, watching Ginny struggle. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-and-Elric free school, doesn't it?"

Malfoy laughed loudly and sycophantically. Umbridge looked at him with a wide, complacent smile and settled herself into a chintz-covered armchair, blinking up at her captives like a toad in a flowerbed.

"If you have Mal-fart let me go, I'll give you a big hug," Ed spat out. "You fat bitch."

Umbridge glared at Ed and then looked at Harry.

"So, Potter," Umbridge said, ignoring Ed, "you stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon," she nodded at Ron, and Malfoy laughed louder until Ed stepped on Malfoy's foot again with his left foot, making Malfoy yelp in pain, "to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes. Mr. Filch having just informed me so."

"Get your fucking foot off my foot!" Malfoy yelled at Ed.

"Why don't you make me, you --!" Ed started.

Umbridge sent a curse at Ed, and Ed crumpled to the floor.

"Brother!" Al tried to yell through his gag.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Winry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville all looked at Ed as well as Malfoy and the other Slytherins laughed.

"That's better," Umbridge said, Harry glaring at her and hating her. "Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Professor McGonagall. I hear she is still to ill to talk to anyone."

Malfoy and a few of the other Inquisitorial Squad laughed some more at that. Harry found he was so full of rage and hatred he was shaking.

"It's none of your business who I talk to," Harry snarled.

Umbridge's slack face seemed to tighten.

"Very well," Umbridge said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice. "Very well, Mr. Potter…I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco -- fetch Professor Snape. Do not worry about Mr. Elric; he will not wake for a while."

Malfoy stowed Harry's and Ed's wands inside his robes and left the room smirking. Harry had just realized that Snape was the last Order of the Phoenix member in the school. There was a silence in the office except for the fidgeting and scuffling resultant from the Slytherins' efforts to keep Ron and the others under control. Winry was looking at Ed with angry tears coming down her face. She tried to blink away the tears, but she was too angry for what Umbridge had done to Ed. Al was struggling against the Slytherin holding him; Ron's lip was bleeding onto Umbridge's carpet as he struggled against Warrington's half-nelson; Ginny was still trying to stamp on the feet of the sixth-year girl who had both her upper arm in a tight grip. Neville was turning steadily more purple in the face while tugging at Crabbe's arms, and Hermione was attempting vainly to throw Millicent Bulstrode off herd. Luna, however, stood limply by the side of her captor, now gazing vaguely out of the window as though rather bored by the proceedings.

Ed was still unconscious on the ground by Umbridge's desk. His golden bangs were covering his face.

Harry looked back at Umbridge, who was watching him closely. He kept his face deliberately smooth and blank as footsteps were heard in the corridor outside and Draco Malfoy entered the room, closely followed by Snape.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" Snape asked, looking around at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference.

Then he looked at Ed and back to Umbridge.

"Ah, Professor Snape," Umbridge smiled, standing up again. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," Snape said, surveying her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge flushed.

"You can make some more, can't you?" Umbridge asked.

"Certainly," Snape answered, his lip curling. "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month?!" Umbridge squawked, swelling toadishly. "A _month?_ But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" Snape asked, looking interestedly at Harry. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules…like Mr. Elric there. Let us just hope that Mr. Elric wakes or you will have the Amestrian government --"

"Mr. Elric will be fine!" Umbridge snapped. "I wish to interrogate Potter! I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you," Snape reminded, "that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter -- and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did -- I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling…"

"You are on probation!" Umbridge shrieked, Snape raising his eyebrows. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better! Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"

Snape gave an ironic bow and was about to leave until Harry spoke up.

"He's got Padfoot!" Harry shouted. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

Snape had stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle.

"Padfoot?" Umbridge cried, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

Snape looked around at Harry. His face was inscrutable. Harry could not tell whether he had understood or not, but he did not dare speak more plainly in front of Umbridge.

"I have no idea," Snape replied coldly. "Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little, if Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork, and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job."

Just then, Ed groaned.


	38. Chapter 38

**Author's Note:** There's a reference from the Spider-Man movie in here. Hope you spot it.

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

Just then, Ed groaned. Everyone looked at Ed as he pushed himself up, putting his hand on Umbridge's desk to help him do so.

"That's another reason why I hate you, Snake," Ed said, standing straight and looking at Snape. "You sound like Colonel Shit-head."

Snape didn't say anything as he turned and left the room. Before Ed knew it, Umbridge hit Ed with the Cruciatus Curse. Feeling as though his heart was being electrocuted, Ed collapsed to the ground, screaming with pain.

"Stop it!" Hermione shrieked. "What you are doing is illegal!"

Umbridge didn't take any notice. Winry broke out of the grip of the Slytherin that was holding her and tore off her gag.

"Stop it!" Winry shouted. "If you continue to do that, Edward's heart will stop and he will die!"

"You wouldn't want Fudge to know, would you?" Hermione cried.

Umbridge stopped and Winry went to Ed, kneeling next to him and putting his head into her lap. Ed's breathing was labored. Al broke free as well, took off his gag, and went to Ed and Winry.

"Nobody would believe little children like yourselves," Umbridge simpered, turning her wand at Harry. "Besides, what Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him. He never knew I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same…"

"It was _you_?" Harry gasped. "_You _sent the dementors after me?"

"_Somebody_ had to act," Umbridge breathed. "And how do you think the State Alchemist killer, Scar, found Edward Elric? They were all bleating about silencing you somehow -- discrediting you -- but I was the one who actually _did_ something about it…Only you both wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Elric?"

Ed didn't respond.

"Not today though, not now…," Umbridge continued, then taking a deep breath and pointing her wand at Harry's forehead. "_Cruc_ --"

"NO!" Hermione shouted in a cracked voice from behind Millicent Bulstrode. "No -- Harry -- Harry, we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" Harry yelled.

"We'll have to, Harry," Hermione sobbed. "She'll force it out of you anyway, what's… what's the point?"

Hermione began to cry weakly into the back of Millicent Bulstrode's robes. Millicent stopped trying to squash Hermione against the wall immediately and dodged out of her way looking disgusted.

"Well, well, well!" Umbridge rejoiced. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"

"Don't tell anything to that bitch, Hermione!" Winry snapped. "Al, say something!"

Al opened his mouth to warn Hermione not to say anything until he noticed that Hermione's crying wielded no tears.

"I'm -- I'm sorry everyone," Hermione fake cried. "But I can't stand it --"

"That's right, that's right, girl!" Umbridge urged, grabbing Hermione by the shoulders, thrusting her into the abandoned chintz chair and leaning over her. "Now then…with whom was Potter communicating with just now?"

"Well," Hermione gulped into her hands, "well, he was _trying_ to speak to Professor Dumbledore…"

Everyone looked surprised at Hermione.

"Dumbledore?" Umbridge asked eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is then?"

"Well…no!" Hermione sobbed. "We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head --"

"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the Ministry's looking for him!" Umbridge shouted.

"But -- but we needed to tell him something important!" Hermione wailed, holding her hands more tightly over her face to conceal the lack of tears.

"Yes?" Umbridge urged, excitement spreading over her wide toad face. "What was it that you wanted to tell him?"

"We wanted to tell him it's ready!" Winry went along.

Everyone looked at Winry, Hermione keeping her hands covering her face but peeking through her fingers.

"What's ready?" Umbridge asked.

"The weapon," Winry answered. "We've been developing a method of resistance that we could use against the Ministry. Amestris lent us some ideas. Why do you think Colonel Mustang is here? To simply teach Alchemy?"

"What kind of weapon?" Umbridge asked.

"We're not really sure," Hermione sobbed, making the attention turn back to her. "The only one of us who knows what the thing is is Edward because he's the most powerful Alchemist in the military in Amestris. Colonel Mustang was sent to be Edward's body guard and to help construct it."

"Lead me to the weapon," Umbridge demanded.

"I'm not showing…_them_," Hermione shrilled, looking around at the Slytherins through her fingers.

"It is not for you to set conditions," Umbridge snapped.

"Fine," Hermione sobbed into her hands again, "fine…let them see it. I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th-that would serve you right -- oh, I'd love it if the wh-whole school knew where it was, and how to u-use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to sort you out!"

Umbridge looked around and then looked back at Hermione.

"All right, dear, let's make it just you and me…and we'll take Potter too, shall we?" said Umbridge in a false motherly tone. "Get up, now --"

"Professor," Malfoy interrupted eagerly, "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after --"

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" Umbridge asked sharply. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these" -- she gestured around at Ed, Al, Winry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna -- "escape."

"All right," Malfoy moped.

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," Umbridge instructed, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on…"

Umbridge, Harry, and Hermione left the room. Once they were gone, the Inquisitorial Squad didn't have a chance. Winry and Al shielded Ed as the other Dumbledore's Army fought against the Slytherins. A few moments later, the Slytherins were laying unconscious on the ground. Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna went to Winry, Ed, and Al.

"How is he?" Ginny asked.

"He's not so well," Winry replied.

"Why is he sweating so hard?" Neville asked. "Is it because of his fake arm and leg?"

"Yes," Winry answered. "Since the torture curse is like being electrocuted and his limbs are made out of metal, he will feel like his heart is being crushed or electrocuted."

"That's terrible," Ginny said.

"Why don't you make the limbs out of a different material?" Luna asked.

"Metal is the only thing that will be productive," Winry explained. "I'm going to take Edward to the hospital wing."

"No…," Ed groaned.

Winry, Al, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville looked at Ed. Ed tried to sit up, but his body ached.

"Ed, let me take you to the hospital wing," Winry urged.

"No, I wanna help," Ed groaned. "I _need_ to help."

"Edward, you can't come with us if you are like this," Ginny shot down. "You're too weak, and you need to go to the hospital wing."

Ed scowled at her.

"Winry, Al, help me up," Ed requested.

"If you feel any pain, we'll take you directly to the hospital wing, got it?" Winry instructed.

"Yeah, yeah," Ed wove off. "Just help me up."

Al and Winry looked at each other. They helped Ed stand up.

"Now, let's get the wands and go to the Forbidden Forest," Ed instructed. "That's probably where Hermione and Harry led Umbridge to so they could get rid of that old bitch."

"How would you know?" Neville asked.

"That's what I would do," Ed replied.

"Are you _sure_ you're all right, Brother?" Al insisted.

"I'm fine," Ed answered. "Just chill out."

Then Ed muttered under his breath, "I just hope those stupid homunculi get that toad bitch."

"Nii-san!" Al rebuked.

Ed shrugged.

"What does 'Nii-san' mean?" Ron asked.

"It means 'big brother'," Al explained. "Now, let's go to the Forbidden Forest."

Then Ed, Al, Winry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna went on their way to go to the Forbidden Forest after getting Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, and Hermione's wands from the Inquisitorial Squad. As they went, they were noticed by Envy and Lust who were hiding from view. A few moments later Ed, Al, Winry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna made it to where Harry and Hermione were standing in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest.

"Well, we can't do anything without wands," Hermione pointed out hopelessly. "Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"

"We were wondering the same thing," Ed spoke up.

Harry and Hermione looked at him and the group. Ron tossed their wands to them.

"You have any ideas?" Ed asked.

"How did you get away?" Harry asked. "And how are you standing? You were hit with the torture curse!"

"You gotta thank your dream team for that," Winry answered. "They Stunned, Disarmed and --"

"Neville did an amazing Impediment Jinx and Ginny got Malfoy with a Bat-Bogey Hex," Ron interrupted.

"Damn, I knew I was forgetting to do something," Ed remembered.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Kick Mal-fart," Ed replied.

Hermione frowned.

"What happened with Umbridge?" Al asked.

"The centaurs carried her away," Harry explained. "And they got chased off by Grawp."

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked interestedly.

"Hagrid's 'little' brother," Ed answered.

"Edward, are you all right?" Hermione asked. "Maybe you should go to the hospital wing."

"I'm fine," Ed replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm not goin' to the hospital wing. Harry, does Baldy-Butt got Sirius?"

"Yeah," Harry answered, "and I'm sure Sirius is alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."

"Easy, fly," Ed shrugged.

"Okay, first of all," Harry answered, "'we' aren't going anywhere. You've gotta go to the hospital wing. That attack must have fried your brain or--"

"My heart actually," Ed interrupted. "But I'm fine."

"And Ron is the only one with a broomstick that isn't being guarded --" Harry started.

"I've got a broom!" Ginny interrupted.

"Yeah, but you're not coming!" Ron snapped at Ginny.

"Excuse me, but I care about what happens to Sirius as much as you do!" Ginny snapped back.

"You're too --!" Harry began.

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Sorcerer's Stone," Ginny interrupted, ignoring Ed's scowling, "and it's because of me that Mal-fart's stuck back in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogeys attacking him --"

"I need to copyright that 'Mal-fart' name so I can get a hundred cenz every time it's said," Ed muttered, then looking at Ginny and saying, "It's Philosopher's Stone, not Sorcerer's."

"Same thing," Ginny brushed off. "Harry, it's because --"

"Yeah, but --" Harry interrupted.

"We were all in the D.A. together," Neville added quietly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real -- or was that all just a game or something?"

"No -- of course it wasn't --" Harry answered impatiently.

"Then we should help too, Harry," Winry said.

"I don't mind you or Al coming, but Ed --" Harry started.

"FOR THE LAST FUCKIN' TIME -- I'M NOT A FUCKIN' INVALID JUST BECAUSE I WAS FRIED BY TOAD BITCH!" Ed interrupted.

"I think you've found yourself some competition, Harry," Ginny remarked.

"Fine, but it doesn't matter anyway," Harry relented through gritted teeth, "because we still don't know how to get there --"

"I thought Edward had already settled that?" Luna interrupted maddeningly. "We're flying!"

"Look!" Ron snapped. "You and Ed might be able to fly without a broomstick, but the rest of us can't sprout wings whenever we --"

"There are other ways of flying than with broomsticks," Winry interrupted.

"Yeah, like how?" Ron remarked.

Winry, Ed, and Al pointed to two trees behind Harry. Everyone turned. Between the two trees were standing two white-eyed Thestrals, watching the conversation as though they understood every word.

"Yes!" Harry whispered, moving toward the Thestrals.

The Thestrals tossed their reptilian heads, throwing back long black manes, and Harry stretched out his hand eagerly and patted the nearest one's shining neck.

"Is it those mad horse things?" Ron asked uncertainly. "Those ones you can't see unless you've watched someone snuff it?"

"Yes, they are," Winry answered.

"How many?" Ron asked.

"Two, but we need nine," Ed replied.

"All of us aren't going," Harry reminded.

"Harry, you'd be stupid to not anyone else help you," Al snapped.

Neville and Luna looked at Al, mildly shocked.

"Fine," Harry relented. "But unless we can find more --"

"Don't worry, since you and Hermione are covered with Grawp's blood, more will be coming very soon," Ed interrupted.

A few moments later no fewer than eight or nine Thestrals were picking their way through the trees now, their great leathery wings folded right to their bodies, their eyes gleaming through the darkness.

"All right," Harry said angrily, "pick one and get on, then."


	39. Chapter 39

**Author's Note:** There's a Wizard of Oz reference.

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

Harry got on the back of a Thestral as did Ed, Al, Winry, Neville, and Luna. The only ones who weren't were Ron, Hermione, and Ginny and were all standing motionless on the spot, openmouthed and staring.

"Aren't you going to get on one or not?" Ed asked.

"We would if we could see the things," Ron replied.

"I'll help you," Luna offered, sliding obligingly from her Thestral and marching over to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. "Come here…"

She pulled them over to the other Thestrals standing around and one by one managed to help them onto the backs of their mounts. All three looked extremely nervous as she wound their hands into the horses' manes and told them to grip tightly before getting back onto her own steed.

"This is mad," Ron commented faintly, moving his free hand gingerly up and down his horse's neck. "Mad…if I could just see it --"

"You had better hope it stays invisible, Ron," Al interrupted.

"Al is right," Harry agreed. "All ready, then?"

Harry looked down at the back of his Thestral's glossy black head and swallowed.

"Ministry of Magic, visitors' entrance, London, then," Harry told the Thestral. "Er…if you know…where to go…"

Ed snickered. Just then the Thestrals took off. Ed had to grab hold onto the Thestral in order not to slide off. He closed his eyes and put his face down into the horse's silky mane as they burst through the topmost branches of the trees and soared out into a blood-red sunset. They moved really fast. A few moments later, they were over the Hogwarts grounds, they had passed Hogsmeade. The mountains and gullies could be seen below them all. In the falling darkness small collections of lights could be seen as they passed over more villages, then a winding road on which a single car was beetling its way home through the hills…

"This is bizarre!" Ron shouted.

"No shit!" Ed agreed.

Twilight fell: The sky turned to a light, dusky purple littered with tiny silver stars, and soon it was only the lights of Muggle towns that gave them any clue of how far from the ground they were or how fast they were traveling. After a few minutes, Ed's stomach gave a jolt. The Thestral's head was suddenly pointing toward the ground and he had actually slid forward a few inches along its neck. Soon, bright orange lights were growing larger and rounder on all sides. They could see the tops of building, streams of headlights like luminous insect eyes, squares of pale yellow that were windows. Quite suddenly, it seemed, they were hurtling toward the pavement. The Thestrals landed soft as shadows. Ed slid from the back, looking around at the street where the overflowing dumpster still stood a short way from the vandalized telephone box, both drained of color in the flat orange glare of the streetlights.

Everyone else landed and looked around. Ed looked at Harry.

"Where now?" Ed asked.

"The phone box," Harry answered, motioning toward the telephone box. "Come on."

He pat his Thestral gratefully and went over to the telephone box and got into the telephone box.

"You've got to be kidding," Ron commented as Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna got into the box. "We'll never fit all the way in there with Ed, Al, and Winry."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Winry asked, her hands on her hips.

"I think he means by the size of your breasts, Winry," Luna spoke up. "That's probably why Hermione and Ginny are so jealous of you, because you're the prettiest girl in the school and that you have the most handsome boy in the school. I'm not jealous though. I don't really go for blond boys."

Winry blinked.

"Er…thanks, Luna," Winry said.

"You're welcome," Luna chimed.

"All right, all right," Ed said. "Let's all cram into the torture box."

He pushed Ron, Al, and Winry into the box and squeezed in himself.

"Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two!" Harry instructed.

Ed did as told and then a cool female voice sounded inside the box.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic," the voice welcomed. "Please state your name and business."

"Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric, Winry Rockbell, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley," Ed stated quickly, "Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. We're on a mission to save someone's ass."

"Thank you," the voice replied. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

Ed got the nine tokens from the slot and passed them around. Ed looked at the front of his badge.

EDWARD ELRIC

RESCUE MISSION

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium," the voice continued.

"Fantastic," Ed remarked. "Just fuckin' move!"

The floor of the telephone box shuddered and the pavement rose up past the glass windows of the telephone box. Blackness closed over their heads, and with a dull grinding noise they sank down into the depths of the Ministry of Magic. As they descended, a chink of soft golden light hit their feet and, widening, rose up their bodies.

"Are you really jealous of me, Hermione, Ginny?" Winry asked.

"I don't think this is the best time to talk about it," Harry ground out through clenched teeth.

"Oh, hold on to your wand," Winry snapped. "I wasn't even talking to you!"

"How can we not be jealous, Winry?" Ginny asked. "All of the boys look at you even though you have Ed."

"I can't help that, Ginny," Winry reasoned. "Don't you have that Michael Corner guy?"

"I dumped him," Ginny revealed. "He was upset that Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup."

"That's ridiculous," Winry scowled. "You can't help it that you're a good Quidditch player. And Hermione, you shouldn't be jealous of me either."

"Hmph," Hermione huffed. "I'm not."

"Don't lie, Hermione," Ginny snapped. "You're a horrible liar. Just the other day, you were telling me that you wished you could beat Winry at the O.W.L. exams."

Hermione turned red in embarrassment. Then to Harry's relief, the lift slid smoothly to a halt in the completely empty Atrium. There were no fires burning under the mantle pieces set into the walls, but the golden symbols continued to twist sinuously in the dark blue ceiling.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening," the cool voice bade.

The door of the telephone box burst open; everyone nearly fell out of it. The only sound in the Atrium was the steady rush of water from the golden fountain, where jets from the wands of the witch and the wizard, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and house-elf's ears continued to gush into the surrounding pool.

"Come on," Harry urged quietly and the nine of them sprinted off down the hall, Harry in the lead, past the fountain, toward the deserted security desk.

"There should be a guard there," Al commented. "They always have a guard patrolling the Amestrian Military bases."

"We aren't Amestris anymore, little brother," Ed commented.

They rushed towards the nearest lift. A few moments later, they were all in the lift going downwards to the ninth floor.

"These lifts are noisier than the ones in Amestris," Winry commented.

"You have lifts back in Amestris?" Hermione asked.

"Of course we do," Winry answered. "We're not uncivilized, you know."

"I didn't say you were, Winry," Hermione snapped.

"Can you give it a rest?!" Harry snapped. "We're here to save Sirius, not to argue of who's cuter or smarter or who's more civilized!"

Ed pulled Winry close to him and rubbed her head. Winry smiled at Ed.

"Are you sure you're all right, Edward?" Winry asked.

"I'm fine," Ed reassured.

"I can Apparate you to Hogsmeade if you like and take --" Winry started.

"I said I'm fine, Winry," Ed urged. "My heart is stronger than you give it credit for. Besides, I do not want my promise to be broken again."

"What promise is that?" Ron asked.

"None of your business!" Ed snapped at Ron.

Harry rolled his eyes. How he wished that Ed, Al, and Winry had not come along. Don't get him wrong; he liked the trio, but he just didn't want any arguments on the way to saving Sirius. Just then, the cool voice announced that they had gotten to the Department of Mysteries. The grilles slid open, and they all stepped out into the corridor where nothing was moving but the nearest torches, flickering in the rush of air from the lift.

Harry turned toward the plain black door. After months and months of dreaming about it, he was here at last…

"Let's go," Harry whispered.

He led the way down the corridor.

"Okay, listen," Harry proposed, stopping again within six feet of the door. "Maybe… maybe a couple of people should stay here as a -- as a lookout, and --"

"Brilliant plan," Ed remarked, clapping slowly as if he was congratulating the world's biggest idiot. "There's just one problem, genius."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Harry asked.

"How do you propose we get in contact with you if something is coming, O Genius One?" Ed asked, sarcastically.

"Ed has a point," Al inputted. "You could be miles away. We're coming with you."

Harry scowled and turned to face the door and walked forward. Just as it had in his dream, it swung open and he marched over the threshold, the others at his heels.

"Nice place," Ed muttered.

They were standing in a large, circular room. Everything was black including the ceiling and floor. Identical, unmarked, handle-less black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue, their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor so that it looked as though there was dark water underfoot.

"Someone shut the door," Harry muttered.

Neville shut the door. The place became so dark that for a moment the only things they could see were the bunches of shivering blue flames on the walls and their ghostly reflections in the floor below.

"Nice call," Ed remarked.

"Shut up!" Hermione snapped.

Ed flipped her the bird. Al rolled his eyes as he could see what Ed had done.

"You vulgar prat!" Hermione snapped.

"Get over it," Ed replied.

Harry looked around, ignoring the bickering, and saw that there were around a dozen doors here. Just as he was gazing ahead at the doors opposite him, trying to decide which was the right one, there was a great rumbling noise and the candles began to move sideways. The circular wall was rotating. Hermione grabbed Harry's arm as though frightened the floor might move too, but it did not. Winry scowled and rolled her eyes.

'_Baby,'_ Winry thought.

For a few seconds the blue flames around them were blurred to resemble neon lines as the wall sped around and then, quite as suddenly as it had started, the rumbling stopped and everything became stationary once again.

"What was that about?" Ron whispered fearfully.

"I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in from," Ginny whispered back.

"How are we going to get back out?" Neville asked uncomfortably.

"That doesn't matter now," Harry answered. "We won't need to get out till we've found Sirius --"

"Don't go calling out for him, though!" Hermione needlessly pointed out.

"He's not an idiot," Ed hissed.

"Where do we go, then, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I don't --" Harry began, swallowing. "In the dreams I went through the door at the end of the corridor from the lifts into a dark room -- that's this one -- and then I went through another door into a room that kind of…glitters. We should try a few doors. I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon."

He marched straight at the door now facing him, the others following close behind him, set his left hand against its cool, shining surface, raised his wand, ready to strike the moment it opened, and pushed. It swung open easily. After the darkness of the first room, the lamps hanging low on golden chains from this ceiling gave the impression that this long rectangular room was much brighter, though there were no glittering shimmering lights such as Harry had seen in his dreams. The place was quite empty except for a few desks and, in the very middle of the room, and enormous glass tank of deep-green water, big enough for all of them to swim in, which contained a number of pearly white objects that were drifting around lazily in the liquid.

"What are those things?" Ron whispered.

"Hell if I know," Ed answered.

"Are they fish?" breathed Ginny.

"Aquavirius maggots!" Luna exclaimed. "Dad said the Ministry were breeding --"

"They're brains," Al interrupted.

"Brains?" Ed asked. "Yech!"

"I wonder what they're doing with them?" Hermione asked.

"Let's get out of here," Harry said. "This isn't right, we need to try another door."

"There are doors here too," Ron pointed out.

"In my dream I went through that dark room into the second one," Harry reminded. "I think we should go back and try from there."

They hurried back into the dark, circular room; the ghostly shapes of the brains were now swim mining before Harry's eyes instead of the blue candle flames.

Winry drew a large fiery X in midair with her wand on the door as Luna closed it. No sooner had the door clicked shut behind them than there was a great rumbling, and once again the wall began to revolve very fast, but now there was a great red-gold blur in amongst the faint blue, and when all became still again, the fiery cross still burned, showing the door they had already tried.

"Good thinking," Harry complimented. "Okay, let's try this one --"

Again, he strode directly at the door facing him and pushed it open, his wand still raised, the others at his heels. This room was larger than the last, dimly lit and rectangular, and the center of it was sunken, forming a great stone pit some twenty feet below them. They were standing on the topmost tier of what seemed to be stone benches running all around the room and descending in steep steps like an amphitheatre, or the courtroom in which Harry had been tried by the Wizengamot. Instead of a chained chair, however, there was a raised stone dais in the center of the lowered floor, and upon this dais stood a stone archway that looked so ancient, cracked, and crumbling that Harry was amazed the thing was still standing. Unsupported by any surrounding wall, the archway was hung with a tattered black curtain or veil which, despite the complete stillness of the cold surrounding air, was fluttering very slightly as though it had just been touched.

"Who's there?" Harry asked, jumping down onto the bench below.

"Careful!" Hermione cautioned.

Harry scrambled down the benches one by one until he reached the stone bottom of the sunken pit. His footsteps echoed loudly as he walked slowly toward the dais. The pointed archway looked much taller from where he stood now than when he had been looking down on it from above. Still the veil swayed gently, as though somebody had just passed through it. Ed and Winry were about to follow the others, but Al pulled them back.

"What is it, Al?" Ed asked.

"Don't go down there," Al whispered.

"Why not?" Winry asked.

"It's not safe," Al answered. "There's something wrong about it."

"Like what?" Ed asked. "You afraid it'll fall --"

"No," Al interrupted. "Something else…something more dangerous….something that the Ministry is too…"

"Too what?" Winry urged.

Al shook his head. Then Ed cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Get your fuckin' asses over here!" Ed called. "We got ourselves a dog guy to save!"

Harry blinked and looked up at Ed, Al, and Winry who were all standing by the door.

"Let's go," Harry said.

"That's what I've been trying to -- well, come on, then!" Hermione said, flustered.

She led Harry, Ron, herself, Ginny, Luna, and Neville up to where Ed, Al, and Winry were. They all left the room and Winry marked the door before the circular room moved again.

"What d'you reckon that arch was?" Harry asked Hermione.

"It was something dangerous," Al answered for Hermione.

"You didn't even get near it!" Ginny pointed out.

"I didn't have to," Al retorted.

The room spun and became still. Harry approached a door at random and pushed. It did not move.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I may be mistaken, but it looks like it's not opening," Ed remarked as Harry threw his weight at the door.

Hermione glared at Ed. Ed grinned and shrugged. Hermione blushed. Then she made Harry move so she could try unlocking it. It didn't work. Harry pulled out the knife Sirius had given to him for Christmas and slid it into the crack between the door and the wall. After Harry withdrew it, he tried opening the door again without any success. He looked at the knife and saw that the blade had melted.

"Well, we know that it isn't that room," Ed remarked, as Winry marked that door.

"What if it's the room?" Ron asked.

"If it was, then we would have been able to get into it," Winry pointed out.

"Oh," Ron said.

"Let me see your knife," Al said, holding his hand out.

"Why?" Harry asked, beginning to pocket it. "It's useless now."

"I can fix it," Al answered.

"There is no way to fix a --" Hermione started.

"Shut up, Hermione," Ginny snapped. "Just let Al try, Harry."

"Okay, but hurry," Harry relented, giving Al the knife. "We need to save Sirius."

Al took the knife and touched the place where the blade had melted off. There was a light blue flash and the blade reappeared. Al gave the knife back to Harry. Harry looked at it in shock.

"Thanks, Al," Harry said. "How did you do it?"

Al shrugged.

"Let's choose another door," Hermione sniffed.

Harry nodded, pocketing his knife. The room slid to a halt from moving, and Harry pushed the next door open.

"_This is it!_" Harry cried.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty**

Harry pushed the next door open.

"_This is it!_" Harry cried.

He knew it at once by the beautiful, dancing, diamond-sparkling light. As Harry's and everyone else's eyes became more accustomed to the brilliant glare, he saw clocks gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between the bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room, so that a busy, relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of miniscule, marching footsteps. The source of the dancing, diamond-bright light was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room.

"This way!" Harry instructed.

Harry's heart was pumping frantically now that he knew they were on the right track. He led the way forward down the narrow space between the lines of the desks, heading, as he had done in his dream, for the source of the light, the crystal bell jar quite as tall as he was that stood on a desk and appeared to be full of a billowing, glittering wind.

"Oh, _look_!" Ginny breathed, as they drew nearer, pointing at the very heart of the bell jar.

Drifting along in the sparkling current inside was a tiny, jewel-bright egg. As it rose in the jar, it cracked open and a hummingbird emerged, which was carried to the very top of the jar, but as it fell on the draft, its feathers became bedraggled and damp again, and by the time it had been borne back to the bottom of the jar it had been enclosed once more in its egg.

"Keep going!" Ed snapped. "We don't have time to stop!"

"Harry dawdled enough by that old arch!" Ginny retorted.

"That doesn't matter!" Ed replied, impatiently shoving Ginny forward. "Just move, damn it!"

Ginny glared at him and then went on.

"This is it," Harry repeated, his heart pumping hard and fast. "It's through here --"

He glanced around at the group. They all had their wands out and looked suddenly serious and anxious. He looked back at the door and pushed. It swung open. They were there, they had found the place: high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, their flames were burning blue. The room was very cold. Harry edged forward and peered down one of the shadowy aisles between two rows of shelves. He could not hear anything nor see the slightest sign of movement.

"Didn't you say row ninety-seven?" Al asked.

"Yeah, I did," Harry answered.

They started running towards the right.

"You know what this reminds me of, Al?" Ed asked.

"What?" Al asked.

"That place in Riole," Ed replied. "You know, that phony religion that Corn guy made up."

"You mean, Father Cornello," Al corrected.

"You mean 'Phony Father'," Ed remarked.

"Who are you talking about?" Ron asked.

"Sorry, Ron, strictly classified," Ed answered, grinning.

They reached ninety-seven and went down to the end of the said row and saw that…

"No one's here but us, Harry," Winry suddenly said.

"He has to be here!" Harry insisted.

"Well, he's not, Harry!" Winry snapped.

"But I saw him!" Harry insisted. "Voldemort was --!"

Harry went to look in the other aisles. Ed looked at the dusty orbs and saw something that caught his eye.

"Harry!" Ed called out. "There's something that might interest you!"

Harry scowled and went back to the group. He saw Ed turn to look at him while pointing at an orb. Harry went down to where Ed and the group were.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Look," Ed replied.

Harry looked at the small glass sphere that glowed with a dull inner light that Ed was pointing to.

"My name?" Harry asked blankly.

"Yup," Ed answered.

Harry stepped forward. Not as tall as Ed, he had to crane his neck to read the yellowish label affixed to the shelf right beneath the dusty glass ball. In spidery writing was written a date some sixteen years previously, and below that:

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D

Dark Lord

And (?) Harry Potter

Harry stared at it.

"What is it?" Ron asked, sounding unnerved. "What's your name doing down here? No one else is here, right?"

"No, no one else," Ed replied.

"Harry, I don't think you should touch it," Hermione warned, as Harry stretched out his hand.

"If it has his name on it, then he has every right to be curious," Winry reasoned.

Hermione glared at Winry.

"She's got a point, you know, Hermione," Ron told Hermione.

Hermione glared at Ron.

"Don't, Harry," Neville said suddenly.

"It's got my name on," Harry said.

He closed his fingers around the dusty ball's surface and brought it off the shelf. Nothing happened.

"Wow, how dramatic," Ed remarked.

"Edward," Winry scowled.

"Very good, Potter," a drawling voice congratulated. "Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

"Oh, shit," Ed muttered under his breath. "I knew this would happen."

Al nodded in agreement.

Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking the group's way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their hearts. Ginny and Winry let out gasps of horror.

"To me, Potter," Lucius Malfoy repeated, his hand held out, palm up.

Harry's insides plummeted sickeningly. They were trapped and outnumbered.

"To me," Lucius repeated again.

"We heard you the first time," Ed remarked.

Lucius glanced at Ed.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry demanded.

Lucius looked back at Harry. Several of the Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always," Lucius echoed softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I want to know where Sirius is!" Harry demanded again.

"_I want to know where Sirius is!_" the woman mimicked.

She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Harry's eyes.

"You've got him," Harry accused. "He's here. I know he is."

"_The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo,_" the woman mocked.

"Don't do anything," Harry muttered.

"I know that!" Ed hissed. "You think I'm an idiot?!"

The woman who had mocked Harry let out a raucous scream of laughter.

"You hear him?" the woman laughed. "_You hear him?_ Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"I'm not a child!" Ed and Winry both protested.

Lucius smirked under his hood.

"Of course you're not," Lucius drawled. "You, Elric, are a very important asset to the Amestrian Military, and you, Rockbell, are a famous auto-mail mechanic from Resembool, Amestris."

Winry glared at him. Lucius looked at Harry.

"Anyway, Bellatrix, you don't know Harry Potter as I do," Lucius continued. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. _Now give me the prophecy, Potter_."

"I know Sirius is here," Harry insisted. "_I know you've got him!_"

The Death Eaters laughed.

"Harry, it's time to shut up!" Ed snapped.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," Lucius said. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

"Go on, then," Harry replied, raising his own wand to chest height.

As he did so, the eight wands of Ed, Al, Winry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna rose on either side of him.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," Lucius said coolly.

"Yeah, like that'll happen!" Ed remarked. "As soon as you get it, you'll knock us all off!"

Bellatrix tried to Summon the orb from Harry, but Harry blocked the Summoning charm.

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter," said Bellatrix. "Very well, then – "

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius roared. "If you smash it – !"

Harry's mind was racing. The Death Eaters wanted the glass sphere. He had no interest in it. He just wanted to get them all out of this alive, make sure that none of his friends paid a terrible price for his stupidity.

'_Damn, I should've listened to Ed and Al and Winry,'_ thought Harry.

Bellatrix stepped forward, away from her fellows, and pulled off her hood and mask. Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making it gaunt and skull-like, but it was alive with a feverish, fanatical glow.

"You need more persuasion?" asked Bellatrix. "Very well – take the smallest one," she ordered the Death Eaters beside her. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

Harry felt the others close in around Ginny. Harry stepped sideways so that he was right in front of her, the prophecy held up to his chest.

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us," Harry told Bellatrix. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"

Bellatrix did not move.

"I think they're afraid of Baldy-butt," Ed remarked.

"How _DARE_ you speak – !" started Bellatrix, angrily, raising her wand at Ed.

"Bellatrix, no!" said Lucius. "He and his brother are important! They are not to be harmed!"

"What their Fuhrer doesn't know won't hurt him!" Bellatrix shrieked.

"He will know, Bellatrix," Lucius warned. "Remember the warning. Remember what happened earlier."

"Hey, Harry," Ed whispered, as Lucius and Bellatrix bickered about the Fuhrer.

"Yeah?" Harry whispered back.

"Keep them talking," Ed advised. "Learn all what you can, and then we'll all smash the shelves and scram. All right?"

Harry was silent, then…

"All right," Harry agreed. "Tell the others."

Ed nodded.

"So, what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?" asked Harry.

"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, still angry. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting," said Harry. "How come Voldemort wants it?"

Several of the Death Eaters let out low hisses.

"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix whispered.

"Yeah," Harry answered. "Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol --"

"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood tongue, you dare --"

"Voldemort is half-blood as well," Al spoke up, glaring at Bellatrix. "Has he been telling you that he's not? His mother was a witch, but his dad was a Muggle."

"STUPEF – !" started Bellatrix.

"NO!" yelled Lucius, as he blocked Bellatrix's spell.

Instead of going to Harry, her spell hit a shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered. The prophecies were too fragmented to be understood.

"DO NOT ATTACK!" yelled Lucius. "WE NEED THE PROPHECY! WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!"

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," said Harry.

"Do not play games with us, Potter," said Lucius.

"I'm not playing games," said Harry.

"Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" asked Malfoy.

"I – what?" asked Harry. "What about my scar?"

"Can this be?" asked Lucius, sounding maliciously delighted.

"Dumbledore never told you?" asked Lucius. "Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording."

"Did he?" asked Harry. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

"Why?" asked Lucius. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."

"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?" asked Harry.

"About both of you, Potter, about both of you," reminded Lucius. "Haven't you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"

"Who needs to wonder?" asked Ed. "Voldemort is a crazy bastard!"

"Watch your mouth, boy," threatened Lucius, pointing his wand at Ed.

"You don't scare me, Mal-fart Senior," Ed retorted. "You aren't supposed to hurt --"

"Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me?" asked Harry, quietly. "And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it himself?" shrieked Bellatrix, laughing.

"He wouldn't get it himself because he would be immediately noticed and that's not what he wants right now," Winry answered. "He's a coward."

"So, he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" asked Harry. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it – and Bode?"

"Very good, Potter, very good...," said Lucius. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell–"

"NOW!" Ed announced.

Eight different voices around him bellowed "_REDUCTO!_" Eight curses flew in eight different directions and the shelves opposite them exploded as they hit.

"RUN!" Ed yelled.

As the shelves swayed, more glass spheres began to pour from above. Harry pulled Hermione by her arm and dragged her forward. The Death Eaters were yelling and crying of pain. Harry found the way ahead clear and saw Ron, Ginny, and Luna sprint past him, their arms over their heads. Harry heard Hermione urging Neville on while Ed, Winry, and Al ran as well. The door through which they had come was ajar straight ahead; Harry could see the glittering light of the bell jar. He pelted through it, the prophecy still clutched tight and safe in his hand, waited for the others to hurtle over the threshold before slamming the door behind them –

"_Colloportus!_" gasped Hermione.

The door sealed itself with an odd squelching noise.

"Where – where are the others?" asked Harry, gasping for breath.

Ron, Luna, and Ginny were nowhere to be seen.

"They've gone the wrong way," said Ed.

"Of course," Winry said underneath her breath.

"Listen!" said Neville.

Footsteps and shouts echoed from behind the door they had just sealed.

"Leave Nott, _leave him, I say,_ the Dark Lord will not care for Nott's injuries as much as losing that prophecy," Lucius roared. "Jugson, come back here, we need to organize! We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary – Bellatrix, Rodolphus, you take the left, Crabbe, Rabastan, go right – Jugson, Dolohove, the door straight ahead – Macnair and Avery, through here – Rookwood, over there – Mulciber, come with me!"

"What do we do?" Hermione asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Ed. "We don't let them find us. We need to get away from this door."

They ran as quietly as they could, past the shimmering bell jar where the tiny egg was hatching and un-hatching, toward the exit into the circular hallway at the far end of the room.

"Edward, keep quiet!" hissed Hermione.

"I can't help it!" Ed hissed back. "You try having a metal leg!"

"Please," Winry scowled. "It's not _that_ loud."

They were almost there when they heard something large and heavy collide with the door Hermione had charmed shut.

"Stand aside!" said a rough voice. "_Alohamora!_"

As the door flew open, Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al, Winry, and Neville dived under the desks.

"They might've run straight through to the hall," said the rough voice.

"Check under the desks," said another.

"STUPEFY!" yelled Harry.

A few moments later, after Stunning one Death Eater and having the other's head into a baby's, Harry, Hermione, Ed, Al, Winry, and Neville ran to the other end of the room where the black room was. They were halfway toward it when Harry saw through the open door two more Death Eaters running across the black room towards them. Harry turned left and burst into a small, dark, cluttered office with Hermione, Ed, Al, Winry, and Neville behind him. Before Hermione could lock the door had burst open again and the two Death Eaters had come hurtling inside.

Both yelled, "_IMPEDIMENTA!_"

They were all knocked backward off their feet. Neville was thrown over the desk and disappeared from view, Hermione smashed into a book case, and Harry slammed into the stone wall behind them, tiny lights bursting in front of their eyes. Ed and Al, however, threw up a wall with Alchemy, protecting themselves and Winry. The wall was broken down, though, with the jinx.

"WE'VE GOT HIM!" yelled the Death Eater nearest Harry. "IN AN OFFICE OFF – "

"_Silencio!_" cried Hermione, silencing the man's voice.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" shouted Harry, as the second Death Eater raised his wand.

His arms and legs snapped together and fell forward, face down onto the rug at Harry's feet, stiff as a board and unable to move at all.

"Well done, Ha-!" started Hermione.

The Death Eater Hermione just struck dumb made a sudden slashing movement with his wand from which flew a streak of what looked like purple flame. It passed right across Hermione's chest: she gave a tiny "oh!" as though of surprise and then crumpled onto the floor where she lay motionless.

"HERMIONE!" said Harry.

Harry went to Hermione as Neville crawled rapidly toward her from under the desk, his wand held up in front of him. Ed, Al, and Winry went to Hermione as well. The Death Eater broke Neville's wand in two and broke Neville's nose. The Death Eater ripped off his mask and was pointing his wand directly at Harry. It was Antonin Dolohov, the wizard who killed Mrs. Weasley's brothers.

Dolohov grinned and pointed to the prophecy, to himself, and then to Hermione. His message was clear: _Give me the prophecy, or you get the same as her..._

"Like you won't kill us all the moment I hand it over anyway!" said Harry. "Ed, no!"

Ed whipped out his wand and was about to curse Dolohov until a bright green light hit him in the chest.

"EDWARD!" Winry and Al shouted.

Ed flew backward and hit a wall and slid down, crumpling onto the ground. Harry stunned Dolohov and the baby-headed Death Eater. Neville checked Hermione's pulse as Harry and Al crouched down by Ed while Winry held his lifeless body in her arms.

"Is he --?" Harry asked.

"Don't say it!" Winry interrupted.

"Hermione's alibe," Neville announced, going over to Al, Winry, and Harry. "I'm sorry, Winry…Albonse. He was --"

Winry shook her head, not wanting to believe that Ed was killed.

**Author's Note:** Well? What did you think? You hate me for this cliffie, right? I hope you were able to catch the references. Anyway, I am thinking about a sequel, but I need input on if you guys want a sequel. Review, if you please!


	41. Chapter 41

**Author's Note:** Hi! Thank you all for your reviews! I am now posting the last two chapters of this fanfiction! I hope you like them! Review!

**Chapter Forty-One**

"We need to get Ed out of here," Harry told Neville, Al, and Winry. "You need to get to the black circular room and find a way out and raise the alarm. And take Hermione with you. She can't fight anymore."

"But don't you need us?" Al asked.

"I'll stay behind, Harry," Neville volunteered. "I can hold onto Hermione while Albonse and Winry take Ed."

"But --" Harry started.

"Don't worry, Harry," Winry spoke up. "We'll take him."

Al looked at Winry and then down at Ed. Winry had closed Ed's eyes and mouth without anyone noticing. To Al, Ed looked like he was sleeping, but Al knew that his brother was gone. Al helped Winry stand up and Harry and Neville helped put Ed on Al's back. Then Winry and Harry helped put Hermione on Neville's back. Afterwards, Harry, Neville, Al, and Winry found their way to the black, circular room and shut the door behind them. The room rotated again. The fiery crosses had faded from the doors. Harry was about to ask where they should try when the door to their right sprang open and three people fell out of it.

"Ron!" said Harry, going to them. "Ginny – are you all – ?"

"Harry," Ron giggled. "There you are... Ha ha ha... You look funny, Harry... You're all messed up..."

Ron's face was very white and something dark was trickling from the corner of his mouth. His knees gave away.

"Ginny?" asked Harry, fearfully. "What happened?"

Ginny shook her head and slid down the wall into a sitting position, panting and holding her ankle.

"I think her ankle's broken," said Luna. "Four of them chased us into a dark room full of planets, it was a very odd place. Some of the time we were just floating in the dark. What happened to Edward?"

"He's dead," Neville answered. "Dolohov killed him."

Ginny looked up with shock while Luna's eyes, if it were even possible, widened with surprise.

"We couldn't just leave him," Winry whispered.

"Understandable," Ginny replied. "Get out of here. You need to get Ed out of here."

"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" said Ron, still giggling. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus, ha ha ha."

A bubble of blood grew at the corner of Ron's mouth and burst.

"One of them grabbed Ginny's foot, I used the Reductor Curse, and blew up Pluto in his face, but…," Luna continued gesturing to Ginny.

"What about Ron?" Al asked.

"I don't know what they hit him with," Luna replied sadly, "but he's gone a bit funny, I could hardly get him along at all…"

"Harry, you know who this girl is, Harry?" Ron giggled. "She's Loony…Loony Lovegood…ha ha ha…"

"We've got to get out of here," Harry insisted. "Luna, can you help Ginny?"

"Yes," Luna answered, sticking her wand behind her ear for safekeeping, putting an arm around Ginny's waist and pulling her up.

"It's only my ankle, I can do it myself!" Ginny protested.

She stood but fell, grabbing onto Luna for support. Harry pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder just as he had pulled Dudley's so many months ago. He looked around: They had a one-in-twelve chance of getting the exit right the first time --

He heaved Ron toward a door; they were within a few feet of it when another door across the hall burst open and three Death Eaters sped into the hall, led by Bellatrix Lestrange.

"_There they are_!" Bellatrix shrieked.

Stunning Spells shut across the room: Harry smashed his way through the door ahead, flung Ron unceremoniously from him, and ducked back to help Neville in with Hermione. They were all over the threshold just in time to slam the door against Bellatrix.

"_Colloportus!_" Harry shouted.

Three bodies slammed into the door on the other side.

"It doesn't matter!" a man shouted. "There are other ways in -- WE'VE GOT THEM, THEY'RE HERE!"

They were back in the Brain Room and, sure enough, there were doors all around the walls.

"Luna -- Neville -- Winry -- help me seal the door!" Harry requested.

A few moments later, Luna and Winry were knocked unconscious and sent flying. They landed on the ground.

"No! Winry!" Al cried out.

Ron summoned the brains and they started to wrap around him as the Death Eaters came running in. A few minutes later, Harry ran into the veil room and was soon surrounded by the Death Eaters. Al put Ed down on the floor and helped Neville free Ron of the brains. Ron was now unconscious on the floor. Ginny, Neville, and Al were now the only ones conscious.

"Neville, you can go to help Harry, I'll stay here," Al said.

"Whad aboud Ed?" Neville asked. "Whad are you going to do?"

"Just go help Harry," Al insisted. "Everything will be fine."

"I'b sorry," Neville apologized.

Then Neville left the room to help Harry. Al went over to Ed's body and felt Ed's face.

"Still warm," Al muttered. "But he's cooling down."

"What are you going on about?" Ginny asked.

Al looked at Ginny as he clapped his hands.

"If I don't live, tell Brother and Winry not to be sad," Al requested. "And tell Cho… tell her I'm sorry."

"Alphonse?" Ginny asked.

Al looked down at Ed and then knelt down. They both were engulfed by a bright light. Then the light faded. Al collapsed and lay by Ed.

"ALPHONSE!" Ginny cried.

Ed groaned.

"You know this is the third time you're here," a voice said.

Ed opened his eyes. He looked to see that he was in a white void. Then he saw…

"Truth…," Ed said.

"Long time, no see," said Truth, a white, black-outlined figure. "I would say welcome back, but that would seem inappropriate."

"What am I doing here?" Ed asked.

"Well, I thought you'd know that one, Ed," Truth answered. "You were killed."

"I know that!" Ed snapped. "But why aren't I --?"

"You know, your brother stole the Philosopher's Stone from me," Truth interrupted. "I didn't expect that to happen. One moment the Stone was in my hands, the next moment it was gone."

"He didn't mean to!" Ed retorted. "And you're not taking his body or soul back!"

"I don't want them," Truth shrugged. "I just want to tell you that it isn't your time to die just yet. You still have many things to accomplish."

"I know that!" Ed snapped. "But shit happens and there's nothing that can be done about it! I'll just have to…"

"Break your promise to your girlfriend?" Truth completed.

Ed blushed in embarrassment.

"I need to talk to you about --" Truth started.

Just then, the Gate doors opened and Ed was pulled through them. A moment later, the Philosopher's Stone appeared in Truth's hands.

"Ooh, I got my Stone back," Truth observed. "Hey! A piece is missing!"

Ed groaned. He thought the Killing Curse was supposed to be painless, but he was aching all over. When he opened his eyes, he saw a blurry face with blue eyes staring down at him. Ed blinked and his vision cleared.

"Bumblebore?" Ed asked. "Are you dead too?"

Dumbledore chuckled.

"No, dear boy, I am not dead," Dumbledore answered. "And neither are you. Look around if you can."

Ed looked around and saw that he was in the Hogwarts' hospital wing. He saw Winry and Al in beds beside his. He also saw Hermione, Luna, and Ron in beds as well. Ed saw Ginny sitting by Al's bed. He could see Tonks, Kingsley, Moody, and Remus being treated as well. Ed looked back at Dumbledore.

"I don't understand," Ed said. "What happened? Why am I alive? Why can I feel my right arm and left leg?"

"Alphonse performed Human Transmutation," Dumbledore answered.

Ed tried to bolt up in bed, but he groaned in pain and fell back against his pillow.

"I would advise you not to move for a while," Dumbledore advised.

"Al…is he okay?" Ed asked.

"He is just fine," Dumbledore answered. "He is just sleeping. He used up a lot of energy."

Ed nodded.

"Winry?" Ed asked.

"She, too, will be all right," Dumbledore replied. "As will all of your other classmates. If you will excuse me, I need to speak to Harry. I told him I would return in a moment and it has been several. Get some rest."

Ed nodded and closed his eyes. A moment later, he was asleep. Then Dumbledore stood and left the wing. A moment later, Roy burst into the room.

"Where's Edward?" Roy demanded.

"He's sleeping now," Pomfrey answered. "You let him get his rest, Professor Mustang."

Roy sighed and looked around. He saw the people in the beds and looked at Remus.

"Remus, what happened?" Roy asked. "Severus didn't tell me what was going on."

Remus didn't reply until after Pomfrey went to her office.

"Edward, Alphonse, Winry, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville all went to the Ministry of Magic to…save Sirius after Harry had a dream that Voldemort had kidnapped him," Remus replied. "Voldemort was just using Harry to get a prophecy made about them both."

"Is Sirius all right?" Roy asked.

"No…Bellatrix killed him," Remus answered, looking down.

"I'm sorry," Roy answered.

Remus shook his head.

"It's not your fault," Remus said. "The idiot was enjoying himself too much when it happened. Edward is lucky that Alphonse was able to save him from…"

"What happened to Edward?" Roy asked.

"Neville said that Dolohov killed Edward with the Killing Curse," Remus replied.

"Then how --" Roy started, then registering what Remus had told him about Al saving Ed. "Human Transmutation."

Remus nodded.

"It shouldn't be possible without a Philosopher's Stone," Roy muttered. "I don't understand…"

"Albus is sending a message to Van Hohenheim," Remus said. "He's hoping Van Hohenheim comes."

Roy's mouth turned into a straight line. He didn't think Van Hohenheim would come.

Dumbledore got to his office and went in. Harry was standing and looking at the newborn Fawkes. Dumbledore went to his desk and sat down behind it.

"Well, Harry, you will be pleased to hear that none of your fellow classmates are going to suffer permanent damage from the night's events," Dumbledore announced. "Madam Pomfrey is patching everyone up now. Nymphadora Tonks may need to spend some time at St. Mungo's, but she'll make a full recovery."

"What about Ed?" Harry asked. "He was murdered by Dolohov. He had no pulse."

"Edward is alive, Harry," Dumbledore replied. "Alphonse performed Human Transmutation and was able to revive Edward. It took all of his energy, and he is now resting."

Harry looked down.

"Harry, I must ask you not to attempt what Alphonse has done," Dumbledore said.

"Why?" Harry demanded.

"The only reason why it worked this time is because Alphonse had the Philosopher's Stone inside his body," Dumbledore answered. "I am sure you already know that he had."

"Yes, but how did you know?" Harry asked.

"Alphonse is easy to read," Dumbledore replied. "He also no longer has the Philosopher's Stone within his body. It has finally been used up. Alphonse is finally a normal sixteen year old boy."


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty-Two**

**HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS**

In a brief statement Friday night, Minister of Magic

Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-

Be-Named has returned to this country and is active

once more.

"It is with great regret that I must confirm that the

wizard styling himself – well, you know who I mean –

is alive and among us again," said Fudge, looking tired

and flustered as he addressed reporters. "It is with almost

equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the dementors

of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to

continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe that the

dementors are currently taking direction from Lord – Thingy.

"We urge the magical population to remain vigilant.

The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home

and personal defense that will be delivered free to all

Wizarding homes within the coming month."

Details of the events that led to the Ministry turn around

are still hazy, though it is believed that He-Who-Must-Not-

Be-Named and a select band of followers (known as

Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself

on Thursday evening.

Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated headmaster of

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated

member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and

reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was unavailable

for comment last night. He has insisted for a year that You-

Know-Who was not dead, as was widely hoped and believed,

but recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize

power. Meanwhile, the Boy Who Lived –

"There you are, Harry," said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at Harry. "I knew they'd drag you into it somehow."

Hermione was reading that morning's edition of the _Sunday Prophet _to Ed, Winry, Al, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. Ed, Al, and Winry were all sitting on Ed's bed since Ed had to stay in the hospital wing for the weekend so Pomfrey could make sure that he was healthy. After Al had woken up, Ed lit into him and gave him a good yelling. Ginny was curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed; Neville, whose nose had been repaired, was in a chair between Ron and Hermione's beds; and Luna was sitting in a chair between Ed and Hermione's beds.

"Of course, Hermione, everyone loves talking about Harry Potter," Ed remarked, rolling his eyes.

"They mention you as well, Edward," Hermione said.

"Do they mention anything about Al bringing me back to life?" Ed asked. "And about me getting my arm and leg back?"

"No," Hermione replied.

"Of course not," Ed remarked. "Don't want anybody repeating anything that had happened to me."

"Stop that, Edward," Winry scowled.

Ed looked at Winry. When Winry woke up and found that Ed was alive, she hit him with a wrench and then hugged him while sobbing all the while threatening to kill him if he ever got himself killed again. She, too, had lit into Al for trying Human Transmutation.

"Sorry," Ed apologized softly.

"Harry's 'the Boy Who Lived' again now, though, isn't he?" Ron remarked, darkly, diverting attention back to the _Sunday Prophet_. "Not such a show-off maniac anymore, eh?"

He helped himself to a handful of Chocolate Frogs from the immense pile on his bedside cabinet, threw a few to Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, Ginny, and Neville, and ripped off the wrapper of his own with his teeth. There were still deep welts on his forearms where the brain's tentacles had wrapped around him. According to Madam Pomfrey, thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else, though since she had started applying copious amounts of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction, there seemed to be some improvement.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry, and of Edward too," Hermione commented, now scanning down the article. "_'Two lone voices of truth…perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in their stories…forced to bear ridicule and slander…'_ Hmmm, I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering though…"

She winced slightly and put a hand to her ribs. The curse Dolohov had used on her, though less effective than it would have been had he been able to say the incantation aloud, had nevertheless caused, in Madam Pomfrey's words, "quite enough damade to be going on with." Hermione was having to take ten different types of potion every day, and although she was improving greatly, was already bored with the hospital wing.

"'_You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four,'_" Hermione read, "_'What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter and Edward Elric, page nine…'_ Well, it's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Edward and Harry isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in _The_ _Quibbler_ months ago."

"Daddy sold it to them," Luna said vaguely, turning a page of _The Quibbler_. "He got a very good price for it too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer and see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"That sounds fun-filled beyond belief," Ed remarked.

"So, anyway," Hermione continued, sitting up a little straighter and wincing again, "what's going on in school?"

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," Ginny answered. "He did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off --"

"Why?" Hermione asked, startled.

"He said it was a good bit of magic," Al answered.

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George," Ron inputted, through a mouthful of chocolate. "They sent me all of these, you know," he added, pointing at the small mountain of Frogs beside him. "Must be doing all right out of the joke shop, eh?"

Hermione looked rather disapproving and asked, "So, has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back?"

"Yes, everything's settled right back down again," Neville answered.

"It's a good thing too," Winry added.

"I s'pose Filch is happy, is he?" Ron assumed, propping a Chocolate Frog card featuring Dumbledore against his water jug.

"No, he's not," Al replied. "He's really upset…He keeps saying that Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts…"

"Figures he would say that," Ed muttered. "They're two peas in a pod."

All nine of them looked around. Umbridge was lying in a bed opposite them, gazing up at the ceiling. Dumbledore had strode alone into the forest to rescue her from the centaurs. How he had done it -- how he had emerged from the trees supporting Umbridge without so much as a scratch on him -- nobody know, and Umbridge was certainly not telling. Since she had returned to the castle she had not, as far as any of them knew, uttered a single word. Nobody really knew what was wrong with her either. Her usually neat mousy hair was very untidy and there were bits of twig and leaf in it, but otherwise she seemed to be quite unscathed.

"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock," Hermione whispered.

"Sulking, more like," Ginny remarked.

"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," Ed smirked, and then with his tongue he made soft clip-clopping noises.

Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking wildly around.

"Anything wrong, Professor?" Pomfrey called, poking her head around her office door.

"No…no…," Umbridge denied, sinking back into her pillows, "no, I must have been dreaming…"

Ed snickered as Hermione and Ginny muffled their laughter in the bedclothes.

"Speaking of centaurs, who'll be teaching Divination?" asked Hermione. "Is Firenze staying?"

"No, the centaurs won't take him back," said Harry.

"They'll probably share classes," said Ginny.

"I bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good," said Ron, now munching on his fourteenth Chocolate Frog. "Mind you, the whole subject's useless if you ask me. Firenze isn't a lot better."

"How can you say that?" asked Hermione. "After we've just found out that there are real prophecies?"

"Because he eats too much of those Chocolate Frogs," Ed remarked.

Ron's ears went red when everyone laughed.

"What about Alchemy?" Ginny asked. "Who will teach that? Will Professor Mustang and Curtis share classes?"

"No, Colonel Shithead is taking it over," Ed replied. "Teacher wants to stay in Dublith. She doesn't like the cold either."

"Is your dad coming?" Ginny asked. "Professor Lupin told Professor Mustang that Professor Dumbledore wrote to your dad."

"Who knows," Ed replied. "If Dad didn't care about stickin' around last year, he probably doesn't care now."

"But he saved your life last year," Hermione said.

"Just drop it, all right?" Ed snapped. "I don't want to talk about it."

Hermione didn't say anything, then…

"It's a pity the prophecy broke," Hermione sighed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, it is," Ron agreed. "Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either -- where are you going?"

Harry had stood up.

"Er -- Hagrid's," Harry answered. "You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you all are…"

"Oh, all right then," Ron grumpily said, looking out of the dormitory window at the patch of bright blue sky beyond. "Wish we could come…"

"No kidding," Ed muttered.

"Say hello to him for us!" Hermione called, as Harry proceeded down the ward. "And ask him what's happening about… about his little friend!"

Harry gave a wave of his hand to show he had heard and understood as he left the dormitory. Before anyone knew it, the day before the end of term was upon them. While Harry decided to skip the Farewell Feast, Ed, Al, Winry, Hermione, and Ron decided to go to the feast. They all sat together.

"Tomorrow is when we go home sweet home," Ed remarked. "Whoopee."

"Why don't you stay at the Burrow?" Ron offered. "Mum wouldn't mind."

"I'm sure she wouldn't, but we have to clear it with our superiors first," Ed said.

"Well, since the Fuhrer and possibly the other higher-ups are with Voldemort, it will be safer for you at the Burrow since there will most likely be protective spells there," Hermione pointed out.

"There are protective spells here, but the homunculi have still infiltrated here," countered Ed.

Just as Ron was about to say something, Snape came to them.

"Elrics, Rockbell, you both are to stay with the Weasleys for this summer," Snape told Ed, Al, and Winry. "Do not ask why, it is for your own good. The Weasleys have been notified. And Miss Rockbell, your grandmother has already been notified. And Mrs. Izumi Curtis has been notified as well."

Then Snape left.

"I still don't like him," Ron muttered.

"Neither do I," Ed muttered.

"I don't think I should come back next year," Winry whispered, pushing her food around her plate.

Ed, Al, Ron, and Hermione looked at her.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Edward doesn't need me here anymore," Winry answered. "Not since he has his arm and leg back."

Ed scowled and stood. He took Winry's hand and pulled her up from her seat. Then Ed dragged her out of the Great Hall and into the entrance hall. Al, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other and at the doors to see that Ed and Winry were on the staircase. A few other Gryffindor students were looking as well. They could see that Ed was embracing Winry.

"Winry," Ed whispered into Winry's ear, "even though I don't have auto-mail anymore, it doesn't mean I don't need you here with me."

"Why though?" Winry asked. "The only reason why I agreed to come here in the first place was so I could help you with your auto-mail. I wanted to make better auto-mail with the help of magic, but --"

"Winry," Ed interrupted, pulling away and putting his hands on Winry's upper arms, "you can still improve auto-mail with magic. A lot of people need auto-mail, and with your talent, you can help them. Even here."

"But I thought you didn't want to stay here?" Winry asked. "And I thought that you wanted me to be Resembool to help --"

"When since have you listened to me, Winry?" Ed interrupted again. "Besides, I want you here with me so I can protect you better. I don't want you in Amestris where those bastards can get to you. I don't want to lose you, Win."

He put a hand on Winry's cheek, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. Ed then kissed Winry.

"Winry, when this shit is all over, will you marry me?" Ed asked, embracing Winry again in his arms.

"Do you mean it?" Winry asked in Ed's ear.

"Yes," Ed whispered in reply. "So, are you goin' to or not?"

"Of course, I will," Winry answered. "Granny wouldn't have it any other way."

The wolf whistles and cheers of the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs caught Ed and Winry's attention as did the cackling of Peeves the Poltergeist. Ed and Winry looked up to see Peeves with an instrument that would enhance their voices. Ed blushed in embarrassment and anger as he started to yell obscenities at Peeves.

On the train back to London, classmates kept on popping into the cabin that Ed, Al, Winry, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny sat in and teased Ed and Winry about their engagement.

"I swear," Ed grumbled as he played Wizard's Chess with Al, who had Pegasus on his lap, "that if anyone else comes in here and asks or says anything about me and Winry getting married, I am going to kick some fuckin' ass."

"Well, you shouldn't have asked Winry to marry you while in the entrance hall," Ginny pointed out. "You should have known that Peeves would have --"

"SHUT UP!" Ed snapped at Ginny, who was suppressing giggles. "IT WAS A PRIVATE --! DAMN IT, WINRY!"

Winry had just hit Ed on the head with a wrench.

"WILL YOU QUIT BITCHING ABOUT IT?!" Winry snapped.

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HIT ME THOUGH!" Ed snapped back.

As Ed and Winry argued, Al sighed and everyone else either grinned at each other or shook their heads, all wondering if Ed and Winry would argue on their first day of being married.

**Author's Note:** I hope it lived up to your expectations! Look out for the sequel!


End file.
